Your favourite minor character

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Holly Gibney

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Aug 2, 2016
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Hello one and all, and A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you! :cheerful:

Just finished reading the Who is your favourite King character? thread, and it made me wonder about the many wonderful characters who drift onto the pages of a King novel and only stay for a short time before drifting away again, but they manage to create a very strong impression and leave us wanting to know a lot more about them. (This is something that King does so well, in my opinion - creating characters who paint their personalities so vividly upon the page and hold you spellbound as soon as they appear, even though they are only with us for a few short paragraphs.)

There are so many to choose from, but if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be Harry Dunning, the poor old janitor from 11/22/63. Everything about this man - from his gentleness in the face of the kids' mockery to the incredible story of how he survived when his father murdered the rest of the family - has made him stand out larger in my mind than the central characters of thousands of other stories. I would love to read a lot more about him, and I'd be THRILLED if SK ever decided to write a novel with him as the main character!

Does anyone else have a peripheral character who has caught their attention in the way that Harry has done for me?
 

Doc Creed

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There is a member here, I can't remember his name, that said he liked Weasel Craig from 'Salem's Lot. I guess he'd be a minor character in comparison to the others like Ben, Susan, Mark, etc.

I'd say Rawlie DeLesseps from The Dark Half. He was Thad's friend in the English Department who helped him in a particular crisis (no spoilers) and was almost reminiscent of the Jud and Louis relationship from Pet Sematary. King has explored the idea of surrogate fathers and friendships that feel like father and son...think Stu and Glen from The Stand. I don't know if King realizes he is doing it, considering his own absentee father, but it is interesting to note. I won't bore you with all of the examples.
Second, there's Ace Merrill. He is by no means a peripheral character but he's popped up from time to time and played a pivotal role in the climax of Needful Things. He's a hated character but, I think, the more we learn about him the more he is to be pitied. I can't view him as simply evil. He's not as sympathetic as Harold Lauder but there's something in his story that intrigues me.
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
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Holly Gibney

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Aug 2, 2016
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Aww... You're sweet, GNTLGNT! Thank you!

Bango Skank, yes, of course! It's a few years since I last read the Dark Tower series, but doesn't Stephen King (when appearing as a character) refer to Bango as "one of the great lost characters", or something along those lines? It sounds as though he may have entertained the idea of writing about Bango at one time or another... :)

Ace Merrill would be an excellent choice too. He has obviously held quite a fascination for Stevie, popping up in a couple of things (and in a couple of his most successful, popular works, too). A good villain is one of the most fascinating things a story can have, and, as you say, there is clearly more to Ace than simply being a bully. The story of his childhood would probably be heartbreaking and emotionally draining, making you feel sorry for a villain and care about him deeply, and I don't doubt that Steve could pull it off brilliantly.
 

Holly Gibney

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Aug 2, 2016
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Sorry for having taken so long to get round to replying to you, AchtungBaby! :) Yes, I would certainly include Harold Lauder, especially if he is your all-time favourite character! I'm not really sure how to define a minor character anyway, except to say that I know it when I sit on one. ;;D
 

Doc Creed

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I don't see how anyone could see Harold as a minor character. ?
I don't see him as a minor character because he is a part of the story from the very beginning to the very end. Also, he is integral to many of the turning points in the plot including
being the reason that several of the survivors meet. Payday candybar wrappers and the sign he painted on the barn. Frannie was pregnant and couldn't have done it.
Harold is an important part of the ensemble. I can understand why he could be considered minor, in a way, because he wasn't a leader and we don't see very much, narratively, from his point of view.
Regarding The Stand, I'd call Rita Blakemoor and The Kid minor characters, for example.
 

not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
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I don't see him as a minor character because he is a part of the story from the very beginning to the very end. Also, he is integral to many of the turning points in the plot including
being the reason that several of the survivors meet. Payday candybar wrappers and the sign he painted on the barn. Frannie was pregnant and couldn't have done it.
Harold is an important part of the ensemble. I can understand why he could be considered minor, in a way, because he wasn't a leader and we don't see very much, narratively, from his point of view.
Regarding The Stand, I'd call Rita Blakemoor and The Kid minor characters, for example.

Yes, as you say - from beginning to end, and all in between. Not a minor character at all.. I'll bet anyone a payday on it, chocolate or not.

Maybe Poke (whoop whoop) Or Julie

I was delighted to see her come back after awhile, nasty as ever
 

not_nadine

Comfortably Roont
Nov 19, 2011
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Behind you
I don't remember the character's name... freaky girl Tom and Nick encountered in The Stand. She scared me. I thought she was a good example of people you shouldn't trust in the apocalypse.

That was Julie Lawry. And her pepto-bismol meanness. Not to say gun shooting meanness. Laws no!
She spotted Tom later on in the novel while changing a light bulb