Famous Couples in Literature (2024)

When the holiday hustle subsides, department store shelves are lined with teddy bears clutching roses and an assortment of heart-shaped trinkets. Some will undoubtedly turn up their nose as they pass by these tokens of sentiment, and for others, their hearts will instinctively begin to flutter. Still, cynic or hopeless romantics alike may be able to appreciate a literary love story for the ages.

Including romance in literature can give readers more profound character insight or raise the stakes when there is a threat to the relationship. A well-written love story can depict a transformation of the protagonist or reveal a backstory. However, romance can most importantly instill a sense of hope within the reader.Before society had Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, the greatest romances could be found amongst the pages of a novel. In honor of Valentine’s Day, let’s look at some of the most famous literary duos and their legendary love stories.

Daisy Buchanan & Jay Gatsby

Before Leonardo DiCaprio appeared as the debonair Mr. Gatsby in Baz Luhrmann’s film, F. Scott Fitzgerald penned one of the most famous literary duos of all time. Fitzgerald created the character of Daisy to loosely resemble his wife, Zelda. If you know anything about Zelda Fitzgerald, then the somewhat chaotic and frustrating nature of Daisy Buchanan only makes sense. So, is Daisy the original Manic Pixie Dream Girl? It should go without saying that not all love stories have happy endings; in fact, some of the greatest literary romances result in tragedy. The characters in The Great Gatsby are driven by desire, but it is ultimately left to the reader to decipher whose intentions are pure.

Hazel Lancaster & Augustus Waters

John Greene is akin to Nicholas Sparks in capturing the nuances of more modern relationships. Hazel Lancaster is incredibly introverted, and Augustus Waters lives life on the edge, so by all means, they meet the romantic formula for a couple that balances each other’s character flaws. However, rather than separated, these characters are brought together by one uncontrollable circ*mstance. The couple meets in a support group for those who have or are in remission from cancer. The choice to use terminal illness to create a sense of urgency in these teenagers makes every moment shared a heightened experience for readers. YA literature often captures the trials and tribulations accompanying young love, but Greene’s characters stand out from most. Hazel and Augustus are not naïve about time, nor do they believe they are invincible. Instead, Greene’s characters must pursue their love passionately because they are incapable of forgetting their looming mortality.

Pip & Estella

The great romance novelist Nicholas Sparks may have found inspiration for The Notebook right out of the pages of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. A prominent theme within a romance is the idea of unrequited love or forbidden relationships based on circ*mstances beyond the character’s control. From the first introduction of Estella to Pip, the reader can sense the young boy’s fixation with Estella while remaining self-aware that his social standing will prevent him from ever being with her. Even after years of attempting to become the man that Pip believes Estella deserves, Dickens does not give the reader the satisfaction of a happily ever after between this duo. However, the reader has a sense of hope that Estella and Pip will always come back to each other, no matter how much time has passed.

Sethe & Paul D

Beloved by Toni Morrison is a story of maternal love intertwined with the horrors of slavery in the United States. Yet, there is nearly one glimmer of hope in an otherwise incredibly dark novel in the form of a tender relationship between Sethe and Paul D. As slaves of the Sweet House plantation, these two characters know each other in passing. However, the reader should sense that Paul D cares for Sethe beyond their metaphorical bond of belonging to the same household. Morrison creates a time gap of eighteen years when these two characters fight their way through slavery and oppression. When they finally meet again, they serve as a kind of warm blanket to each other, bringing a sense of peace, however brief it may be to the pair who have endured a life of trauma.

Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy

In crafting great love stories, it would seem as though authors have developed a formula in which their characters face a divide, whether that be physical or ranking differently amongst the social hierarchy. The genius of Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice is toying with a story reminiscent of Cinderella and the idea of prince charming finally arriving and turning out to be not so charming. On the surface Austen’s characters might make a case for opposites attracting. The reader can’t help but empathize with the rebellious nature of Elizabeth and her distaste to be married off. Then there is Mr. Darcy who scoffs at the idea of dancing with Elizabeth and appears to be the personification of arrogance. The beauty of this romance is watching Elizabeth chip away at Mr. Darcy’s hardened exterior and the two finding that they are not the most unlikely of lovers after all.

Jo March & Theodore Laurence

Alright, so Jo March and Laurie were never a romantic couple, but their relationship is arguably the purest story of love. Jo and Laurie are drawn together like magnets upon meeting at a high society event. Their connection seems instant, and Laurie falls for Jo’s carefree nature. Jo loves Laurie despite his flaws and pushes him to be better without expecting anything in return. Laurie never doubts Jo’s abilities as an aspiring writer, but he doesn’t fully grasp that her priority will always be to her writing. Louisa May Alcott may have been going for shock factor with her unsettling final match for Laurie, but she may have also been pointing out that love is messy. When Laurie and Jo finally admit their love to each other, it proves love doesn’t have to be romantic to be pure.

Therese Belivet & Carol Aird

Forbidden love takes on new meaning when we place Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt in a historical context. When Highsmith had her manuscript published in the early 1950s, she published under an alias due to the once-considered explicit nature of a lesbian love story. The since republished and more recently re-titled Carol presents a tale of two women unhappily tied down in heterosexual relationships. When the young and impressionable Therese meets the wise and worldly Carol, she discovers that infatuation might be a romantic desire for the same sex. First, Highsmith allows readers into this couple’s bubble and behind closed doors where their love goes unquestioned. Then she rather harshly feeds the reader with a bitter taste of reality. Highsmith juxtaposes moments of intimacy with the masks Therese and Carol must wear in public to convey their love as a platonic friendship.

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