Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Dark or Absurd Literary Villains & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Favorite Room in My House

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.    

Happy Tuesday! Hope you're having a great week so far. You're in for a treat today. We are talking about literary villains. You know, the bad guys, the antagonists, the ones you love to hate. Let's journey through some favorite dark or absurd villains.

Top Ten Dark or Absurd Literary Villains 

Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

I am unsure what is most disturbing about Count Olaf. Is it that he is a murderer taking care of children, or is it that he is manipulative and abusive? 

The White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Jadis, or as she is more commonly known, the White Witch, froze Narnia during the Hundred Years Winter. Those who oppose her are captured and turned into stone, becoming ornaments in her castle garden. Her lust for power proved to be her downfall.

The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wonderful Wizard of OZ by L. Frank Baum

The Wicked Witch of the West proves you shouldn't drop your house on a witch's sister... even if it was an accident. From what I've read, she is portrayed very differently in the books than in the 1930s film, being equally afraid of water and the dark. The film witch's cackles might even lead one to think she is a bit absurd. Like many villains, she sought to gain more power by owning the silver (book)/ruby (movie) shoes. 

Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Tom Riddle, born of a witch mother and a muggle father, gave himself the name Lord Voldemort to reflect his desire to cheat death. This brilliant, absurd wizard became obsessed with power and immortality. He Who Must Not Be Named was a serial killer arrogant enough to make his own name a taboo curse to capture his enemies. 

Miss Trunchbull from Matilda by Ronald Dahl

With Miss Trunchbull, Dahl created a terrifying villain who abused and terrorized little children. Her large, muscular frame was enough to frighten adults, never mind young people. If there were any redeeming qualities in Miss Trunchbull, I couldn't find them.

Cruella de Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

Confession time: I had no idea this was a book first. Cruella de Vil has always been one of my favorite Disney villains. But the book still features a fashion-conscious villain who not only wants to turn puppies into fur coats, but also admits to the Dearlys that she would kill her Persian cat if it weren't so valuable. She was an odd one in school, though, getting expelled for drinking ink. Like in the Matilda movie, the Disney Dalmatians movie used physical humor to lighten the evil bent of these villains. 

The Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Nothing like having a furry trickster whose antics get you in trouble with the powerful Queen of Hearts, who threatens to lop your head off. Not really a villain, but he definitely stirs up trouble. 

President Snow from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Stripped of his family's wealth and traumatized by the war, Snow became preoccupied with restoring his family's status and wealth, which made him paranoid that people in the districts would threaten what he felt rightfully belonged to him. So, he comes up with the insane solution to create annual games where the majority of the young people die. Doesn't that sound endearing? 

Randall Flagg from The Stand by Stephen King

Though Mother Abigail says Flagg is not the Devil, he certainly fakes it well. He is some kind of demon who offers people what they want in exchange for their souls. Death and destruction follow him around like some kind of love-sick puppy. Sounds charming. 

Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King

It seems unkind to call a mentally ill person a villain, but what else does one call a person who kills 70 people in her care, including members of her own family, and kidnaps her favorite author? She then destroys his manuscript and forces the author to write a new manuscript while keeping him drugged, breaking both of his ankles when he tries to escape. 

Do we share any of the same books or choices? 

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post if you are participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

This week, we are talking about the favorite rooms in our houses. By far, my favorite room is my kitchen. I've always loved baking and cooking. I usually cook six nights a week, and I bake when I have time. Fall and winter are the most fun seasons for baking, with tons of foodie inspiration. 

How about you? What is your favorite room?