By Arnold Jansen op de Haar

Fictional Brits

Who will it be: Harry Potter, Basil Fawlty, Paddington Bear, Mr Bean, Dr Who or James Bond after all? I don’t believe there is another country with as many fictional celebrities as the United Kingdom. To select the greatest fictional celebrity is rather difficult because there is a long history.

Often the character is more famous than its creator. The name Tom Jones immediately makes you think of the famous singer from Wales, but it could also remind you of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, published in 1749. There is hardly a street, village or hill that isn’t connected with some artistic endeavour. And, for many, the fictional characters from these books, films or TV series seem real.

Take Sherlock Holmes. Many people are convinced he really existed. The fact that a modern Sherlock Holmes, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, has appeared on our TV screens only adds to the detective’s fame. Actually, his name sounds like a delicious dessert: ‘I’d like to order the Benedict Cumberbatch!’

It is difficult to name the most famous character created by some of the writers because all their characters are very well known. Who is Dickens’s most famous character: Ebenezer Scrooge, Oliver Twist, Fagin, Pip, David Copperfield or Samuel Pickwick?

And who is Shakespeare’s most celebrated personage: Hamlet, Romeo, Juliet, Othello or King Lear? Macbeth is questionable, because he is partly based on a real person.

This suddenly makes me think of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, one of the very first English novels – because, among other things, they invented the modern novel here in England. (I’m a fan.)

The list of British fictional celebrities is endless: Peter Pan, Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Eliza Doolittle, Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, Jane Eyre, Gulliver, Mrs Dalloway, Mr Toad from The Wind in the Willows…

For a moment, I tried to list fictional German celebrities. I got stuck after Goethe’s Werther, Till Eulenspiegel, Old Shatterhand and half the cast of ’Allo ’Allo!

In 2002 there was a poll to select the greatest Briton, so not a fictional figure. Winston Churchill came top, Princess Diana was third and Shakespeare on number five. However, the list took on a somewhat fictional dimension halfway through: King Arthur appeared as number 51 and Boy George was number 46. Opinions differ about whether King Arthur really existed. I have my own doubts about Boy George.

Maybe that’s what’s so great about British fictional personages: you can run into them on the street, whether it is Jeeves, Ali G or Mr Humphries from Are You Being Served? I know an excellent ‘George’ from George and Mildred. This country even invented the most famous Belgian: Poirot.

Not long ago I came across the international list. It featured Superman at number 2 and Batman in the top spot. My perception is that you can measure a country’s culture through the number of famous fictional characters, and also through the quality of these personages. A list consisting only of superheroes makes a point. And I get the impression that it is increasingly difficult for a literary character to achieve world fame without the help of a film.

The great thing is, it also works the other way round: real people can resemble fictional characters. Andrew Marr has already compared Ed Miliband to Wallace from Wallace & Gromit. And now the film makers have created a ‘Miliband personage’ in their latest film. In the guise of a disgruntled waiter.

It’s a fact that in the United Kingdom reality and fiction are not many miles apart. And it may well be that through fiction you can give a truer picture of reality than by describing real life.

In the meantime you, of course, have a favourite fictional Briton. It’s someone I haven’t mentioned, and perhaps you the reader are shouting out ‘Angelina Ballerina’ or ‘Bob the Builder’.

© Arnold Jansen op de Haar
© Translation Holland Park Press