Well, you know we mean Top Ten Nasty Women, but 'girls' sounds better. Ha! Top Ten Tuesday is the fun weekly meme hosted by the gals at THE BROKE AND THE BOOKISH. This week's topic: Top Ten Mean Girls We'd All Like to Slap Good and Proper. (I added that last part.) Link here to see who else is participating and what their choices for this week's list are.1) Susan Silverman from most of the Spenser private-eye books by the late, great Robert Parker. Susan is Spenser's psychiatrist girlfriend though I've always felt she needed the psych care more than anyone else. Ha! I simply cannot stand her. Never could. I would not slap her because Spenser would get on my case, not to mention Hawk. Since these men are simply besotted with Susan, for reasons that totally escape me, I continue to loathe her and her modern woman simpering ways from afar. (Eat a piece of freakin' bread - why don't you!?)
2) Ophelia and Daphne de Luce - from the books by Alan Bradley - the 'wicked' teenage sisters of 11 year old budding detective and chemist, Flavia de Luce. These are satisfying mysteries (beginning with THE SWEETNESS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIE) set in the idyllic (at least in memory) English countryside of the 1950's. With two sisters like these, Flavia is put through the ringer since her dad, totally immersed in his stamp collection, appears clueless.
3) A certain Oxford professor, a very dangerous woman with a nefarious father -near the end of THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE by Laurie R. King, who makes Mary Russell's life a living hell - not to mention, Sherlock Holmes. I can say no more.
4) Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare. Duh!
5) Mrs. Danvers from REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier. A housekeeper from hell. But she kept Manderley tidy.
6) Miss Holloway the loony-toons sanatorium owner from Dorothy MacArdle's book and film, THE UNINVITED. She is so devoted and has such an unhealthy love for a deceased woman that she sends the young heroine to what may be certain death. (Sounds like Danvers. Maybe they're related.)
7) Mrs. Reed from JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte. The aunt - also from hell - who does get her comeuppance, but too late.
8) Joyce Barnhardt from the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich. The skanky New Joisey bleached blond who broke up Stephanie's marriage. Stephanie caught Joyce and Stephanie's equally skanky husband doing the nasty on the dining room table. YUCK!
9) The Queen of Hearts from ALICE IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll. Oh, for sure. Off with her head!
10) Julia McGee from TOO MANY CLIENTS by Rex Stout. Wolfe looked at Julia McGee and said in a voice as hard as hers had been, "You're no longer needed. Go." She started to speak, and he snapped at her, "No. My eyes are inured to ugliness, but you offend them. Get out. Go!" She got up and went.
Omigosh, this is hilarious. Some of these characters are truly evil and/or nuts, and I agree. A few are just suffering from being teen-agers; will they outgrow it?
ReplyDeleteI don't mind Susan Silverman because she's smart and New York City-neurotic; since I live here and know so many similar to her, she doesn't bother me, except when her self-importance overdoes it. But Spenser and Pearl love her, so who am I do talk?
And a few I don't know yet, but will read about as in the Nero Wolfe book. I must read the Stephanie Plum book about the marriage break-up so I'm caught up.
Have fun! This Tuesday top ten list is always so good.
Congrats on making it to 10! I forgot about Mrs. Reed, which is dumb since I'm reading JE right now.
ReplyDeleteKathy: NYC neurotic from Boston. Can't stand her. You're more understanding than I am. Ha! I love Pearl though.
ReplyDeleteYOu learn about Stephanie's marriage break-up early on in ONE FOR THE MONEY, the first book in the series. But skanky Joyce turns up in later books too.
Glad you're enjoying the lists. :)
Red: It wasn't easy thinking up ten. My mind blanked out a few times. Ha! Yeah, Mrs. Reed - yikes!
ReplyDeletereadingromances: You said it! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with no. 3, and good call on no. 9. I will definitely list the Queen of Hearts if there is ever a call for a list of top ten evil and crazy characters.
ReplyDeleteI really like your choices of Lady Macbeth and the Queen of Hearts.
ReplyDeleteBibliophile: Ha! Evil and crazy is right. I didn't think this would be a fun list to work on, but it actually was. :)
ReplyDeleteDani: Thanks, Lady MacBeth was the first one I thought of. Several other bloggers listed her as well. But I think I'm the only one with the Queen of Hearts. :)
ReplyDeleteBest list ever. Here is a inferior, though still entertaining list, you might enjoy as well.
ReplyDeletehttp://moreintelligentlife.com/content/lifestyle/matthew-sweet/line-beauty-bad-girls
All are truly very "bad girls" :) I also dislike the Wicked Witch of the West. Margaret Hamilton played her so well!!
ReplyDeleteHealigan: Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe link's not working for me. Can you send it in an email? :)
Pat: Margaret Hamiltong was born to play that role. Ha!!
ReplyDeleteLady MacBeth is a great pick that I wish I had thought of when I was making my list!
ReplyDeleteReading Lark's Top 10
I keep forgetting that The Uninvited was a book as well. I'm going to have to see if I can find it someday.
ReplyDeleteAndrea: Thanks. She sprang into my mind as the Queen of the Nasties. Ha!
ReplyDeleteRyan: I've never read it, in fact I've never even seen it. But I'm assured it exists. Somewhere. :) If you find it, let me know!
ReplyDelete