Top ten unsinkable characters in literature

Anakana Schofield is an Irish-Canadian writer of fiction, essays, and literary criticism. In Malarky, her widely-acclaimed first novel, Schofield writes, she was "was determined to create a portrait of a woman who wouldn't be sunk by what life served her and would interrogate it instead."

One of the author's top ten unsinkable characters in literature, as shared with the Guardian:

Memoir [All Will Be Well in the US] by John McGahern

McGahern's father was a cruel man. When his mother died, the young McGahern was not allowed to attend her funeral and followed it on the arms of a clock he held in his hand. His memoir documents how, rather than bail out of his homeland, he decided to return and psychologically break into County Leitrim. I found that gesture remarkable and thanks to it, we have his life's work on our bookshelves. This is a compelling account of how to respond to ridiculous things with an air of dignity about you.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue