Today, I’m celebrating “good men” in literature, a counterweight to men behaving badly.
Books With a Few Good Men
I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Villains. I don’t usually read stories with true villains, but I have read my share of stories where men are jerks. So, I’m going rogue and focusing on the “good men.”
I’ve been annoyed lately with some authors who are quick to assign bad behavior to so many men. Even though some men definitely deserve to be called out, there are some good men out there, and I’m taking this occasion to highlight them.
(In no particular order)
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Three Pines series)
Armand Gamache is moral, kind, compassionate, fair, and loyal.
Theo (Theo of Golden)
Theo is a good listener, generous, kind, and inspirational. (my FREE Book Club Kit for Theo of Golden)
Theodore (The Correspondent)
Theodore is a loyal friend/neighbor, kind, thoughtful, and supportive. (my FREE Book Club Kit for The Correspondent here)
Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni (No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series)
Mr. Matekone is mild-mannered, considerate, a faithful and supportive husband, and a caring boss.
Arthur (The Story of Arthur Truluv)
Arthur is kind, generous, patient, and caring.
Raymond (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine)
Raymond is a kind, supportive, and loyal friend.
Ove (A Man Called Ove)
Ove likes things a certain way, grieves the passing of his wife, and has a soft spot for the family next door.
Bill Furlong (Small Things Like These)
Bill Furlong rescues a child and has compassion for innocent victims. He’s not one to look the other way.
Dawsey Adams (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society)
Dawsey accepts the responsibility of becoming a loving father to an orphaned child.
Captain (News of the World)
The Captain believes is doing things right, but doing the “right thing” is more important as he accepts responsibility for safeguarding a child.
QOTD:
Have you met one of these great men?
What is your favorite book in which a man is a good guy?
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A good twist on the theme Carol.
Thanks! 🌻
Great spin on the topic! I haven’t read any of these myself though.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2025/09/09/top-ten-tuesday-vacation-time/
Thanks Laurie! Hopping over to read your post….
It’s nice to see some good guys appreciated!
Thanks! 🌻
This is a great twist!
Thanks! 🌻
Armand Gamache is a wonderful character. I am a fan! Just off the top of my head Atticus Finch comes to mind as another good man in literature.
Oh yes! He will be at the top of my next great men list!
Bill is a great pick.
Thanks Lydia!
Love this Carol! I think that The Correspondent is going to be my next read.
I hope you love it! It takes a bit to get settled in. The audio is fab!
I love your twist on the topic. I feel that Ove sees himself as a kind of anti-hero. Though the more we learn, and the more we spend time with him, we learn the truth. That he’s a good guy who’s been dealt a lot of bad cards in life.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-ps-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-p/
Yes, it takes a while with Ove!
For some reason I’m having difficulty posting a comment on your post. I was trying to say….your posts are a great resource for those doing an alphabet challenge!
I love your ‘opposite’ take on the theme today! Great picks too 🙂 My TTT
Thanks Carrie! 🌻
Nice idea. I wasn’t keen on the villains, so I skipped this week. But I love your list. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni is a great guy to be included.
Thanks! 🌻 I love all the creative approaches this week!
The ones not sticking 100% with the challenge are often the most interesting ones.
Agreed!
That’s such a lovely and positive twist on the topic! It’s so refreshing to see a list of “good men” in literature. I completely agree that sometimes it’s nice to celebrate characters with positive traits.
Thanks for your encouraging feedback Teresa! 🌻 It was a fun list to make!
So glad to see Armand at the top of your list. Excellent choice too of Bill Furlong. If I had to do this list I’d be including Atticus Finch…
Yes! I forgot him…he’ll be at the top of the next one!
What a wonderful topic! Mr. J.L.B. Matekone!! Gamache! The Captain!! Yes!
Thanks! 🌻
This was a good idea. Yes, we do seem to demonize all men based on the actions of a few and it shows up a lot in books. I don’t agree with that either and I liked that you took some time to highlight the good ones!
Thanks for your encouragement Lisa!
You’re welcome!
I like your take on this, Carol. Yes, there are good men out there, and bad ones. The same applies to women. 💐
Agree!
I LOVE your twist on the topic. Good men are the best, in books and in real life. In fact, my favorite “villains” are ones like Ove – they may be grumpy or bitter because of life circumstances, but they’re not bad or evil. Just in need of a little TLC 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Susan! I’m hopping over to read your post…..
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