Friendships in Fiction Can Flourish or Falter

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From the Firefly Lane series on Netflix.

Nine years ago, I wrote a post about friends in literature. Here’s an expanded and revised version of that piece that includes several novels I’ve read since 2014.

Perhaps we remember the great romances more, but fiction’s great friendships also provide us with many pleasurable reading experiences. Those friendships — which are often more enduring than romances — can teach us, touch us, and remind us of our own longtime pals. And if some of literature’s buddies have difficulties or even a falling out, the silver lining for readers is plenty of dramatic tension.

I was reminded of all that when I read Kristin Hannah’s superb Firefly Lane last week (as in late July 2023). The 2008 novel stars Kate and Tully, who meet as unhappy teens in the 1970s and forge a fierce friendship that lasts decades despite the very different paths their lives take. Kate opts to become a stay-at-home mom in a happy marriage, while the hyper-ambitious Tully remains single as she becomes a nationally known TV host. Their relationship is loving, complicated, and marked by occasional mutual jealousy before some huge bumps in the road happen.

Toni Morrison’s 1973 novel Sula, which I also read post-2014, focuses on friends Nel and Sula — the former fairly conventional, the latter extremely unconventional. They’re pals during childhood and adolescence, but a shared secret of a tragedy and a later betrayal eventually pull them apart. One appeal of the book is that while Nel is the “good” person and Sula the “bad” person, things are actually more nuanced than that.

Fredrik Backman’s Sweden-set 2012 novel A Man Called Ove — another post-2014 read for me — features an unlikely friendship between the grumpy, tries-to-keep-to-himself white widower Ove and Parvaneh, his younger, warm, outgoing female neighbor of Iranian descent.

I like friendships of all types in literature, but some of my favorites are the ones that cross the lines of race, ethnicity, gender, and/or class — as is the case with A Man Called Ove. Those different-background relationships can sometimes be tricky in real life, so it’s nice when they succeed in fiction.

One obvious multicultural pairing is Mark Twain’s Huck and Jim — a white boy and a slavery-escaping Black man who gradually become close. Heck, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn could have been called The Friendship of Huckleberry Finn — and we’re not talking about Huck’s interactions with the annoying Tom Sawyer.

There are also the unshakable comrades Chingachgook and Natty Bumppo in James Fenimore Cooper’s five “Leatherstocking” novels. The final Last of the Mohicans scene between the Native-American chief and the white hunter is a very touching depiction of friendship.

Or how about Uncle Tom and young Eva in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Two admirable people who become interracial and intergenerational friends before circumstances turn tragic for each.

Another great example of friendship across age and class lines — this time with both characters white — is that of the working-class Mary and the older, more-moneyed Elizabeth in Tracy Chevalier’s historical novel Remarkable Creatures. Fossil hunting brings them together.

Mixed-gender friends? They include Jim and Antonia in Willa Cather’s My Antonia, and of course Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in J.K. Rowling’s mega-popular series.

Other memorable friendships in literature? “Kindred spirits” Anne and Diana in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables; Jane Eyre and the sickly, warmhearted Helen Burns (when both are kids) in Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel; Dmitri and angst-ridden murderer Raskolnikov in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece Crime and Punishment; hobbits Frodo and Sam in J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy; and the prison pairing of Edmond Dantes and Abbe Farina in Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo — with the latter character doubling as a mentor, as can be the case with some friendships.

In novels of more recent vintage, Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale features four friends (Savannah, Bernadine, Robin, and Gloria); John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany depicts a fascinating friendship between John and the very original Owen; Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior includes the fun, satisfying friendship between Dellarobia and Dovey; and Margaret Atwood’s The Robber Bride chronicles the many-year relationship between Roz, Charis, and Tony — all three of whom share an enemy.

I haven’t even gotten into friendships between humans and animals in novels such as Jack London’s The Call of the Wild and White Fang, Albert Payson Terhune’s poignant His Dog, William H. Armstrong’s also-poignant Sounder, Elsa Morante’s History, and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series.

Your thoughts on this topic? Memorable friendships in literature you’d like to mention?

My literary-trivia book is described and can be purchased here: Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time.

In addition to this weekly blog, I write the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column for Baristanet.com every Thursday. The latest piece — about an embarrassing municipal typo and more — is here.

106 thoughts on “Friendships in Fiction Can Flourish or Falter”

  1. Around eleven, in 1962, I delighted in the fictional accounts of bosom pals Dave Dawson and Freddy Farmer, young pilots who, book after book, shot down about as many enemy planes as there were pages, in every theater of war to be had in WW2.

    Unsurprisingly, this bloodthirsty series– 15 books in all– was published between 1941-46, by writer Robert Sidney Bowen. Surprisingly, they have enjoyed several reprintings since, though our old enemies in the meantime had become allies, and our old ally, the USSR an enemy.

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  2. Through the accident of rural propinquity,the confected persona of a jaded gentleman of leisure, aka a ‘superfluous man’ was, such as he could be, the friend of the confected persona of a sensitive (if predictably conventional) young poet– but each man was trapped in his own precious self-regard, and in contemporary etiquette regarding honor, as expressed via dueling pistols.

    I refer, of course,to Onegin and Lensky, cad and naif, respectively.

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  3. “We called ourselves the Grand Dames: four women ……….., and each had a daughter around the age of two.”
    “The Grand Dames.
    Friends for life.”

    A quarter century later, 2 dead (one cruelly murdered), one not a friend at all and one left to reflect.
    “Grand Avenue” by Joy Fielding is a masterpiece. (imho)

    Don’t laugh, but I just have to bring up Nancy Drew. Okay I was a kid when I read these amateur sleuth novels, but I was also a kid when I read Huckleberry Finn.
    Nancy’s friendship with Bess & George (tomboy) was an ideal to me. Hard to forget.

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  4. Interesting topic, as always, Dave. I’ve missed out on so many great books over the years 😦 I can’t think of any outstanding friendship in fiction, but know that such friendships make all the difference in great storytelling that touch our hearts.

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    • Thank you, Rosaliene! You’re right that friendships can be a big part of storytelling in fiction. Relatable for readers, along with being heartwarming or disturbing — depending on the friendship depicted.

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  5. HI Dave, friendships in literature always fascinate me. Perhaps because I love at least once a year as a girl and teenager and thus never formed very close or lasting friendships. I was a lovely child and that is probably why I read such an extraordinary amount. My offerings for the week are Paul and Kat in All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarq, David and Maria from I am David by Anne Holm, and Colin and Mary in The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett. More unusual friendships are Danny and Dick Halloran in The Shining, all of the children in IT, both by Stephen King, the young boy and the ex-Nazi in Apt Pupil and all the children in The Body by Richard Bachman. Of course, there is also Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet in the series by Robbie and Michael Cheadle (sorry, I couldn’t resist and this is a bit of a tease for Dan).

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  6. I like this topic, Dave. Friendship plays an important role in the books in the series I have written, and it has not always been easy. Friends experience unique emotions during the course of of events that might not matter to other characters.

    The earliest memory i have of reading about a challenging friendship is ‘The Chosen’ books.

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    • Hi Dan – is that “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok. First published in 1967, follows the narrator, Reuven Malter, and his friend Daniel Saunders, as they grow up in the Williamsburg neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1940s. I just found the audiobook and am revisiting the story a new way. A very compelling narrative.

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      • Yes, that’s the book, Rebecca. I think the complete story played out over two or perhaps three books. It was one of the first books I remember reading where I paid attention to the relationship between friends.

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  7. Firefly Lane is such a good book – I never watched the TV adaptation, I might have to give it a whirl one of these days. A Man Called Ove has been recommended to me by one of my very good bookish friends, I simply must give it a try one of these days. I’ve seen it sitting on the library shelf calling out to me multiple times, but I always have an armload of other books so tell myself I’ll get it next time! And allll the yes to the Diana/Anne friendship, one of my favorite friendship stories in literature (along with Frodo and Sam and all the hobbits really). I can’t really think of any to add to this, as you’ve covered all the ones that come immediately to mind for me! And most of my recent reading has centered more on romantic relationships than friend ones.

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  8. You’ve started me thinking … As a child I read Albert Payson Terhune’s books about collies, and Walter Farley’s Black Stallion books, both about strong friendships between animals and humans, such as the horses who would only bond with one person. In behavioral terms the friendships were somewhat easily explained with those pack and herd animals. There were many dog and horse stories around. I recall no cat friendship stories at that time though there must have been some. Then I grew up to become a cat writer … The friendships are just as strong but it’s complicated, full of mystery … And I still find humans to be the most puzzling critters of all …

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    • Thank you, Leah, for the interesting and enjoyable comment! Yes, animal-human friendships are wonderful (in books or real life), and cats can indeed be examples of that — even though they’re complicated critters, as you note. My cat Misty and I are very close. 🙂

      Albert Payson Terhune wrote so well about dogs and their relationships with humans. Some real tear-jerking moments, too.

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  9. This is such an important topic, Dave, as friendship growth or loss is central in many stories. I recently read “Recipes for Love and Murder” by Sally Andrew, on which the Acorn series is based. The story is set in South Africa, and the main character, Tannie Maria, works for a local newspaper. After the death of someone who had written to her for the news column, Maria (who has a hidden past) feels she must solve the murder. Several of her friends in this small town play important roles in helping with that solution and also in assisting Maria in moving past her own demons.

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  10. Relative well know friendships in classic novels include Pip and Herbert Pocket in “Great Expectations” and Prince Andrei and Pierre Bezukhov in “War and Peace”.

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  11. Hi Dave! Your post about friendships in novels made me think of Nick Hornby’s novel “About a Boy.” I am a great fan of all Nick Hornby’s books, and this is one of my favorites, in which a lazy, immature man teaches a bullied 12-year-old boy how to have fun, and the boy teaches the man how to be more responsible. It’s a surprisingly equal friendship, despite the age differences.

    And I hope it’s not too late to comment on your post about adventure books. In my early teens, my favorite adventure book was “Prince of Foxes”(1947) by Samuel Shellabarger. It takes place among the Borgia family during the Italian Renaissance. I’m afraid to read it again in case my wonderful memories of it are ruined!

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    • Thank you, Kim! I’ve yet to read Nick Hornby; I guess I should remedy that this year. 🙂 “About a Boy” sounds great, and I love unexpected friendships between people very different in age, station in life, etc.

      It’s never too late to comment on a post. 🙂 Thanks for mentioning “Prince of Foxes”! I hear you about the fear of rereading a favorite book and wondering if we’ll be as fond of it the second time, at an older age.

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  12. Oh, I do love this post, Dave! Friendships in literature serve as a reminder of the importance of companionship, support, and understanding. They inspire us to cherish the friendships in our lives and to recognize the profound impact they can have.

    The first thought that came to mind was the generational friendships found in “A Gentleman in Moscow.” Count Alexander Rostov forms a close bond with Nina, a young girl who introduces him to the hotel’s hidden corners. Later, he becomes close friends a glamorous actress. He has a strong friendship with Nina’s daughter, Sofia. Through these friendships, Rostov finds companionship, support, and a sense of belonging in the confines of the hotel.

    In J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, between Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. As Frodo embarks on a perilous journey to destroy the One Ring, Sam serves as his faithful and courageous companion. Their friendship is built on unwavering support, sacrifice, and a deep understanding of one another.

    Thank you again, for a great post and follow-up conversation.

    “For what matters in life is not whether we receive a round of applause; what matters is whether we have the courage to venture forth despite the uncertainty of acclaim.” Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow

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  13. I’m now reading “Spare ” the memoir of Prince Harry. He mentions “Of Mice And Men” as a favorite book. Could be a good example of friendship. I’m putting on my list. “Spare” is a very engaging autobiography.

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  14. You had me thinking this week! All I could think about were double acts – Holmes and Watson, Poirot and Hastings…they were more thrown together than sought out a friendship, but I suppose there must be a friendship of sorts that emerges. However, I did think of ‘My Brilliant Friend’ by Elena Ferrante. A story of friends who end up having quite different lives but manage to stick together – although doesn’t one of them disappear? I read it quite some time ago but I do remember enjoying it!

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  16. Dave, I have never heard of the novel Firefly Lane, which sound very tempting and thank you therefore for your proposal! I could maybe mention Of mice and Men by John Steinbeck and the friendship of two men. Have a good week🤣

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  17. Friendships in books are important to me. My favourite book friendship is Anne and Diana in L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. But there are other good ones you have mentioned. The friendship between Scarlette O’Hara and Melanie Hamilton is also fascinating.

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  18. Fabulous post Dave. I had a wee giggle over Tom Saywer cos he really is annoying as we’ve said before and you are right re the bigger friendship in the Huckleberry book. But in some ways you need to look beyond the Huck/Tom friendship to really appreciate it. I must say I like writing a friendship. Mostly my leads are loners but I really do like bringing a main and a secondary character who are two complete opposites together as friends, as well as those who do share common ground because there’s a lot of reasons people are friends, some to do with personality traits, some to do with circumstance.

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  19. I’m so happy you included Anne Shirley and Diana, Dave! An opposite and tragic story about friendship is Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.

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    • Thank you, Mary Jo! Anne and Diana’s friendship is indeed one of the most memorable in literature. Among the many reasons I’ve reread “Anne of Green Gables” a couple of times. 🙂

      And I appreciate the mention of “A Thousand Splendid Suns”! I haven’t read it, but of course there’s also a pretty complicated friendship between Amir and Hassan in Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner.”

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  20. Thank you, Dave, for this exhaustive list of friendships in literature. I’ve read a few. I need to take this list, tick it and pick up the ones I haven’t read. I watched the movie, ‘A man called Ove’. Friendships in literature touch the heart instantly. I suppose because as humans, that’s what we crave for- healthy relationships to lean on, to laugh and cry with.

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  21. Read most of the books you reviewed here. Read a lot of Kristin Hannah’s books and Fredrick Backman’s too. Labored ovr Crime and Punishment when I was in college. It reminds me, love to reread Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Thank you for the list Dave🥰

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    • Thank you, Arlene! Kristin Hannah is turning out to be one of my favorite contemporary authors, and “A Man Called Ove” is quite a book! “Crime and Punishment” is not the easiest novel, but very rewarding; I reread it way after college, and liked it better than when I first read it. 🙂 And I think “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is a better novel than some give it credit for.

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  23. George and Lennie from Of Mice and Men come to mind. Buddy and Sook from Truman Capote’s short story “A Christmas Memory” are the friends whose relationship has stayed with me all these years. Henry Wiggen and Bruce Pearson in Mark Harris’s Bang the Drum Slowly also come to mind.

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