Animal Protagonists

[The Bluestocking]

One of my recent favourites is the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne and the best character in that book is Oberon the Wolfhound (who even has his own Twitter account courtesy of Mr Hearne). He's funny, snarky, and great with observations and one-liners.

I also love Temaraire in Naomi Novik's most excellent alternative history novels about dragons in the Napoleonic Wars.

Plus, enjoying both series triggered the memory of two of my favourite childhood books:

1. Black Beauty which taught me a lot about animal welfare and is a great story to boot.

2. Wind In The Willows which is just hands down one of the best children's stories out there.

Who are your favourite animal characters/protagonists?

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I've just finished War Horse and cried my way through it.

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn (well actually Chet is the narrator rather than the protagonist) it is a detective story from the POV of the detective's dog.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Charlotte and Wilbur in Charlotte's Web.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Animal Farm

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

There's Watership Down by Richard Adams, of course, in which the animals are fully realized characters.

I have not read it, but I understand that Felix Salter's Bambi is a serious novel, and not Disneyesque.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
But even more
The Horse and his Boy.
Deptford Mice Trilogy by Robin Jarvis
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH,
The "mole books" are a bit like Watership Down. But I think the first is best. I forget who wrote them or the names ...

If you are good at suspending disbelief? The Redwall Series (Martin the Warrior etc).
Re Bambi: The book 101 Dalmatians isn't much like the Disney version, nor indeed is Jungle Book. But boy did Disney get a shock when they bought Dodie Smith's "I capture the Castle" (a far better book and film, but not a kiddies animal book. I really enjoyed it back in 1978 and re-reading since).

 

[VALIS13]

Ray's 'mole books' are probably The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood. Involving characters like Bracken, Mandrake and the dreadful Rune.

 

[Kzinti]

Usagi Yojimbo.

 

[nixie]

Fluke, James Herbert. Years since I read it but can still recall most of it.

 

[Dozmonic]

Garry Killworth did some great animal POV fiction books. Leastways, I recall loving them. Was probably about 10 when I read them. Midnight Sun was about wolves, Frost Dancers was about hares

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Ray's 'mole books' are probably The Duncton Chronicles by William Horwood. Involving characters like Bracken, Mandrake and the dreadful Rune.

That's the one.
Thanks.

 

[Rodders]

Scorpio the hyper pig from Alistair Reynolds Revelation Space series.

 

[Mouse]

Absolute favourite is Mayweed the mole from William Horwood's Duncton books.

I also like Black Beauty. I adore the Redwall books but there's no character who really stands out.

Pan from Philip Pullman's HDM.

For those of you who like animal characters, I have a talking springer spaniel in Shuttered which is coming out in December from Dreamspinner Press.

 

[BetaWolf]

Congrats, Mouse.

One of my favorite parts of A Game of Thrones were the wolfish scenes where everything's driven by hunger and blood. Very much like White Fang, which is another good one. Jack London was criticized at the time for being too sentimental about wolves and dogs.

 

[nixie]

Haven't read the book but the Disney film 101 Dalmatians is brilliant from the dos view.

 

[Mirannan]

Another one not so far mentioned is Wind in the Willows.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice (a cat) and his educated rodents. I particularly like the rats.
Also Gaspode, the talking dog in Moving Pictures and several other stories. Great wee character.

 

[Mouse]

Haven't read the book but the Disney film 101 Dalmatians is brilliant from the dos view.

I've read both (101 Dalmatians and The Starlight Barking) and they are 100 times better than the films. The MCs are Pongo and Missis, not Perdita (who's a different dog who comes in later and is with a dog called Prince - not Pongo. So Disney screwed up the love story).

I forgot about The Amazing Maurice... I read it for the rats.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Oh yes excellent tPratchett.
The Amazing Maurice OR The Rats and their boy!
And a very disturbed Cat who is of a quite different disposition to Greebo. "Witches Abroad" should certainly get an honourable mention: Greebo the cat, Cockerel, Snakes, Frog, Wolf etc.

We really didn't mention the "Wind in the Willows"? The non-canonical sequel isn't bad.

Humans and "Animals" are in Jasper FForde's "Nursery Crimes" series. Lots of bears.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

Greeeeeeeboooo! How could I forget him?