Happy Tuesday, everyone! How has the year been so far? I hope that the year is going in everyone’s favor. As it is a Tuesday, it is time for a Top 5 Tuesday update. Top 5 Tuesday was originally created by Shanah @ the Bionic Bookworm, but is now being hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads.

This week’s topic: Top 5 fictional friendships

Daniel Sempere and Fermin Romero de Torres
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Snippet from my review: Beyond the dark alleys of Barcelona and the trapdoors of haunted mansions, rays of hope beam. From the bitter backstories, great things flourished. Fermin’s story and growth are a great subplot that complements the two major story lines. Once a binge drinking beggar, he lived in the shadows of the street to overcome his personal demons. Rather than scampering down the path destiny paved for him, he created his own path that diverged from the shadows. Unlike some characters who chose to stay in the shadows, Fermin took rein of his destiny, finding reasons to step into the light and keep on living.

Jo March and Laurie; the March sisters
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Snippet from my review: Little Women is nothing but a stellar work of fiction, or pseudo-fiction. It is that wonderful piece of writing that makes the reader genuflect in deep thought. It teaches them that circumstances are nothing but mere circumstances. You can choose to overcome them or be consumed by them. Life is an uphill climb filled with blind curves and bumpy portions, but the March sisters remind us that these can all be overcome through perseverance, unconditional love, and an amazing support system.

Sally and Clarissa Dalloway
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Snippet from my review: Vividly depicted in the novel, postwar Britain’s society showed impartiality to mental disorders, often dismissing it. Rezia, Septimus’ wife, even remarked that his husband “was not ill”. Citing this as an example, Woolf emphasized how mental disorder is overshadowed by one’s cultural standards (the doctors didn’t believe Septimus). In the larger picture, this is also Woolf’s criticism of society’s class structure. Septimus, whom Mrs. Dalloway had never heard of until the party, suddenly becomes the topic of idle chatter, hence Mrs. Dalloway’s attention.

George Milton and Lennie Small
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Snippet from my review: There are two integral elements highlighted throughout the narrative: friendship/companionship and dreams. Whereas both elements were essential to the overall context, the centrifugal point upon which most of the story’s underlying elements evolved was George and Lennie’s friendship. What makes their friendship special is the glaring disparity in their personalities, which both chose to respect and understand. George is smart but uneducated, while Lennie is a bulky man but mentally disabled. These contrasts are what make their friendship special.

Sadie Green and Samson (Sam) Masur
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Snippet from my review: Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow was, at its heart, an intimate story about friendship. It vividly captured the intricacies of the friendship between Sam and Sadie. Together, they shared failures and successes. Their friendship had rough patches, but rather than weakening their bond, these rough patches strengthened it. Theirs is a friendship is rare. They are both interesting and complex characters in their own right. They were flawed, but they had redeeming qualities that made the readers root for them. The dichotomies in their personalities also gave the story interesting textures.