Hello, My Name Is…
Oh, there is so much to unpack here. Names define who we are. They can be symbolic of a time or place, representative of a person passed on, loved or hated, changed or held onto with vigor. But how much do they come into play when you’re reading a novel?
A recent post in a group asked if anyone had ever DNF’d (did not finish) a book because of a character’s name? In this case, the poster was having difficulty reading a book because the hero’s name was the same as a character from a TV show that had a really negative connotation for her. And I totally got it. As a teacher, every time a character in a book has the same name as a student, I cringe a little. I absolutely can’t do it. I have to change the name in my mind while I read. I teach kids, and there is a definite ick factor in envisioning any kid in a romance novel. Many of the kids I taught are grown adults now, but still, Ick. I need to create the character in my mind without the influence of that namesake’s age, behavior, looks, etc. As for the person who posed the question in the group, commenters encouraged her to continue reading the book, but give the character a nickname, or change it completely in her mind. That’s exactly what I do, and it tends to work, so hopefully she gave it a go.
I love when authors come up with really unique names for characters because the likelihood of me having to change it in my mind goes down. But with a unique name comes another potential issue: how the heck do you pronounce it? In my mind, does it really matter? Nope. But then when I listen to the audiobook and the name is pronounced differently, it tends to cause the confused dog head tilt reaction. I get used to it. I mean, I was in book 3 or 4 of the Harry Potter series before I heard Hermione’s name pronounced. And that was not how I had been reading it.
Some names have become so popular that they show up in too many books on my TBR. Can we talk about Matteo for a minute? That was nearly 3 books in a row! The Boss by Melanie Moreland, Safeguard by Stephanie Rose, and The Guardian by Kimberly Kincaid all feature a hero named Matteo. After reading The Boss and Safeguard within a short time frame, I couldn’t read The Guardian right away. I needed to put some distance between the novels so the characters didn’t start to blend. The fact that Matteo in The Boss and Matteo in Safeguard were heroes with vastly different personalities, in stories that were complete opposites, made it easier to read them both so close together. But I still needed a little name variety for my brain, so I have shelved The Guardian (which I 100% bought because of the cover model) for a later date.
There’s another book waiting on my Kindle that I bought because of the cover model, but after grabbing All Your Fault by Claire Wilder I discovered the heroine’s name is Michelle. WHAT! This is the first romance novel heroine I’ve found with MY NAME! And yes, it is definitely claiming a top spot on my TBR. It’s part of a series, so here comes the binge. Am I a little reluctant about reading a romance novel with my name in it? Not even a little bit. I mean, how exciting to have that little bit of recognition as a heroine in a novel. I read the reviews, and yeah, this book is 100% up my alley as far as tropes are concerned. Plus, I trust my knowledge of the genre and the author to not create a horrid experience that will make me hate my own name because of a character in a book.
Now on the other side of that coin, I just finished a book where a character with my name did something pretty awful. I mean, she had good reasons that were integral and relevant to the overall story, and at the end I did feel a sense of hurt for her, but still. She wasn’t the villain in Texas Roses by Samantha Christy. She didn’t try to separate the main characters, kill anyone, or ruin anyone’s reputation. She made a hard decision that painted her in a really bad light. And I messaged the author’s PA and said, “she has to change that character’s name. lol.” Joking, but not joking. Kinda made me feel bad for the Karens out there, ya know? Which is another character’s name in that same book, and she does kinda fit that name’s pop culture connotation.
So, where do you stand on the whole name thing? Would you love seeing your name in print? What about your significant other’s? Ooooh… would that be a difficult read? Seeing your SO’s name in a book with someone who doesn’t have your name? I wonder if I would have to change the hero’s name if he had the same name as The Hubster. Considering his name is pretty common, I’m actually pretty surprised I have yet to read a book with his name in it. But maybe that’s the beauty of such a common name. It’s not unique enough to stand out in the reader’s mind, so it’s shelved for other names that are more likely to catch the attention and stick in the memory.
Well, now I’m off to search my TBR for books with a hero who has the same name as The Hubster. Or maybe not. I’m still undecided if that would be cool or just plain weird.
