Famous Book Characters We'd Love to Hang Out With

Anyone who’s read Pride and Prejudice knows that the intelligent and quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet would be the perfect conversationalist. Plus, if we’re hanging out with Lizzy, there’s a good chance we’ll meet Mr. Darcy, too.

Related: 6 Contemporary Novels for Jane Austen Fans 

Lee may not have been the most famous book character from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, but we do think he would be the most interesting character to hang out with. Not only does he give excellent advice, he has a lot to teach us about empathy, stereotypes, and the experience of being “other.”

It’s tough to pick just one character from Lord of the Rings to meet, but we’re confident that we wouldn’t regret meeting Gandalf. Wonderfully wise and a tad mercurial, hanging out with the great wizard Gandalf would be an experience like no other.

Arguably the true hero of the Harry Potter books—he did set Harry up for success, after all—we might have an even better time with Albus than with Gandalf. Unwaveringly calm, ethereal, and occasionally mischievous, Albus Dumbledore is the leader and friend we all wish we could have.

Related: 13 Books Like Harry Potter for Adult Readers 

One of the famous book characters from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Miss Havisham is, in modern terms, a hot mess. And while hanging out with a rich recluse who refuses to change out of her wedding gown may not be the most enjoyable experience, it’s one we certainly wouldn’t pass up if given the opportunity.

Though we’d love to meet either one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous book characters from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, we have to give the edge to Watson. As one of our Facebook followers explained, “Sherlock would be too impatient and who knows what he'd deduce! But Watson would have fascinating stories to tell, probably be more friendly, and still plenty smart!”

If you’re looking for someone to share a glass (or a gallon) of wine with, we can’t think of a better famous book character than Tyrion Lannister. Shrewd, witty and always down for a good time, Tyrion is also one of the few Game of Thrones characters who we’re pretty sure won’t try to murder us.

Related: 13 Epic Fantasy Books Like Game of Thrones 

We don’t know of a single animal lover (or adventure lover) who would pass up the chance to meet the eponymous main character from The Story of Doctor Dolittle. If nothing else, he could facilitate a conversation with our pets (and I, for one, have a few choice questions for my cat).

Speaking of (mis)adventure, we’d love to sit down with one of the most senselessly chivalric characters (and most popular book characters of all time), Don Quixote. We’re not sure that it’s in our best interest to spend too much time with Don Quixote, lest we get dragged into one of his hare-brained plans, but it’s an opportunity we couldn’t pass up regardless.

Related: The 15 Best Don Quixote Quotes That Stand the Test of Time

Shakespeare created a near-endless number of famous literary characters, but the one we want to meet the most is Hamlet. We’re hard-pressed to think of a character who made more stunningly bad decisions, and we just have so many questions for him, all of which are variations of “But why would you do that?”

Related: Words Shakespeare Invented That We Still Use Today 

Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s introduced us to one of the most famous creations in literature: Holly Golightly. Shocking, sexy and endearing all at once, Ms. Golightly would be the perfect choice for spending a night on the town.

We’re pretty sure that Shug Avery, Celie’s best friend in The Color Purple, would also be a lot of fun to go out with. But we’re more interested in having a deep conversation with Alice Walker’s famous book character—she’s strong, confident and beautiful, and she’s exactly the kind of supportive best friend every woman deserves to have.