Books
10 Memorable Pairs of Literary Siblings
In Jhumpa Lahiri’s highly anticipated new novel The Lowland, two inseparable brothers take divergent paths. The novel got us thinking about our favorite sibling dynamics in literature. Plagued by rivalry, bound by unconditional love, and often dealing with strange family drama, sibling dynamics make for some great literature. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite literary siblings, who often exhibit an unbreakable (and sometimes eccentric) understanding.
Literature's Most Interesting Siblings
In Jhumpa Lahiri’s highly anticipated new novel The Lowland, two inseparable brothers take divergent paths. The novel got us thinking about our favorite sibling dynamics in literature. Plagued by rivalry, bound by unconditional love, and often dealing with strange family drama, sibling dynamics make for some great literature. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite literary siblings, who often exhibit an unbreakable (and sometimes eccentric) understanding.
Holden and Phoebe in ‘Catcher in the Rye’
Though not making many actual appearances in the teen classic, Phoebe is everything that a sister of a complicated, angsty, sensitive brother should be. She is able to call Holden out on his faults, pointing out that “he doesn’t like a million things” but is still ready to runaway and move out West with him. As one of the only sources of true love for Holden, Phoebe and her brother have a compelling relationship based on an unspoken understanding and seriously wise-beyond-her-years pre-teen.
Elizabeth and Jane in 'Pride and Prejudice’
Elizabeth and Jane could not be more different. In layman's terms, Jane is the “beautiful” one who is sweet, reserved and trusting, whereas Elizabeth is the “smart” one who is witty, judgmental, and willful. But you won’t find sibling rivalry between these two. With a Father who is lovable but a bit M.I.A., and a mother who is overbearing and embarrassing, these Bennet sisters look out for each other —and even try to save each other’s romantic relationships.
Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter series
We still mourn the split of this hilarious sibling pair (sorry for the spoiler). Fred and George manage to pull off that shared-brain twin magic without being annoying about it. Adding some much needed humor to all the horcrux and dying business, the Weasley twins provide a good argument for not taking yourself too seriously and matching dragon skin jackets.
The Brothers in ‘Brothers Karamazov’
Dostoyevsky’s last published novel is filled with all of the world’s big questions and features three brothers: the bad boy, the rationalist, and the moral hero. Dmitri, Ivan, and Alexi have a complicated relationship with each other and their father, which leads to a very entertaining 800 pages that is one of the most complex family dramas in literature.
Scout and Jem in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
I don’t think there’s a way that Scout and Jem couldn’t have turned out great, with literature’s moral compass and all-time best Dad raising them. The big brother and litter sister duo balance each other out, with Jem being more reserved and thoughtful, and Scout as the wily and loud. Though they sometimes drift apart through the series, they're ultimately always there for each other.
Constance and Merricat Blackwood in ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’
Shirley Jackson succeeds in revealing the everyday evil of idyllic American towns. Constance and Merricat are two pariahs who are bonded together by a murderous family incident that one of them may or may not have committed. Their sisterhood is twisted, but a sinisterly beautiful sister relationship.
Pevensie Siblings in ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’
Adventuring through a magical world filled with talking animals and a bit of sibling betrayal, the four siblings in this series are a mainstay in children’s literature — and have some of the best sibling outfits.
Arty and Oly Binewski in ‘Geek Love’
From a family filled with child freak shows to support their parents sideshow act, Arty and Oly have one of the more confusing relationships in the bunch. Oly is the albino sister who is in love with her conniving, cult-forming brother Arty. She manages to impregnate herself with his child, which adds some interesting plots to this already unique book.
Lucy and Freddy in ‘A Room With a View’
You could say that Freddy is the reason why his sister ditched her stuck-up fiancé and found her true love — or maybe that’s just us. But one thing is for sure, Lucy is able to let down her guard around Freddy and just be herself, and isn’t that what siblings are for?
The March Sisters in ‘Little Women’
Sisters Meg, Joe, Beth, and Amy March stick together through the worst of times and best of times. Each sister is different and spirited in her own right, providing us with the classic story of family struggle with a feminist spin thanks to these strong female characters.
