Worldbuilding/Silly Speculation: What Do the Main Six Read? · 11:45pm Feb 17th, 2015
What your characters read says a lot about them. Like taste in drinks or music, showing a character’s taste can help characterize them quickly and efficiently, with less time and effort from the author.
Here is what I think the main six would read, and why. I tried to narrow my selections to just a single book; it had to be something that an audience would probably recognize and had obvious connotations. This list also uses real literature instead of silly pony names—maybe this is the human or anthro versions of them, who knows.
Rarity is probably the simplest entry on this list. She wants escapism, and she wants it to validate her own fantasies. She wants to be capable, but still be rescued by a competent, handsome rescuer. She wants to be swept up into the upper class by a rich intellectual.
For this reason, Pride and Prejudice would appeal to her greatly. The heroine is competent, but still slightly inferior to the male lead. Everyone gets a happy ending, and romance and financial stability go hand in hand. Unrealistic, but that would not bother her in the least.
Rainbow Dash is obvious; we know from the show that she likes pulpy adventure. The question is, why? I think it’s because of confidence and capability, with a bit of charisma. Rainbow Dash wants to read about people like her, only more exaggerated. Escapism in the most literal sense. Because she is new to reading, she probably also has low standards.
For these reasons, the James Bond novels—the originals or their newer iterations—would probably be her speed. The protagonist is unrealistically competent and the plots are rarely too complex. The prose is not particularly graceful, often with lots of info dumping, but Dash wouldn’t be bothered by that.
Applejack is the type of pony who likes have her worldview reinforced. She’s often painted as a traditionalist in fanon, but this is an oversimplification. Like Rarity, she wants to have her preexisting notions reinforced.
We know Applejack values hard work and honesty, and so I think that Ragged Dick and its sequels would appeal to her. The story is very contrived, almost dishonestly so, but it is certainly optimistic. It tries very hard to show the reader how important hard work and integrity is, and that would definitely appeal to AJ. It’s also light enough reading that it wouldn’t be hard to finish it during her downtime.
Twilight Sparkle is pretty obvious. She likes complex things, and she is the type of person who analyzes and breaks down anything she reads, be it academic or leisure.
For those reasons, Twilight would be the type of person who enjoys the Lord of the Rings, particularly The Silmarillion. They are dense, rich, complicated, and so offer plenty of fuel for analysis and overthinking.
Pinkie Pie is a bit trickier. She is the type who enjoys the cadence and rhythm of words more than their meaning. She is also the type who is not adverse to unorthodox logic.
For these reasons, Pinkie Pie would love The Hunting of the Snark. It has a distinct emphasis on the rhythm and sound of the words, and it’s got a very bizarre (though generally consistent) internal logic to everything. It also has the bonus of plenty of wordplay and goofy humor.
Fluttershy gave me the most trouble of any of these. She wants a story that is slow, non-combative, and pleasant. The sort of thing one finds in simple children’s books.
For those reasons, Fluttershy would enjoy The Wind in the Willows (as suggested by Japanese Teeth). It is slowly paced and lacks dire conflict or dark themes. Starring animals is a convenient bonus. Fluttershy also probably owns a more modern version that cuts out the weirder chapters.
Bonuses; Celestia: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Luna: Macbeth, Discord: Finnegans Wake, Every school: Death of a Salesman.
So there you have it, another one of my inane posts about characterizing fictional ponies. Alternate suggestions, flaws in my logic, or comments in general are always welcome.
Part Six in a series of blog posts about meandering mental exercises. Check out the others if you missed them!
One; Why do so many Pony works use Human weapons?
Two; Earth Pony Spearfighting
Three; Pegasus Combat and Weapons
Four; What Do the Main Six Drink?
Five; Magical Pony Sports
Yes, I can see Pinkie being a fan of Lewis Carol.
Well, we already know AJ reads "50 Shades of Hay".
Fun fact: I never read "A Death of a Salesman" in school.
Also, I suspect Fluttershy has a great deal of nonfiction about the various exotic species of the world. She doesn't exactly have the budget to travel, so this is her opportunity to expand her horizons and meet fascinating creatures. And in some cases, that "fascinating" has a "nature is so" tacked onto it. After all, this is Fluttershy we're talking about.
Twilight sparkle reading "enanched history"? seriously?
joke aside, the LOTH saga sound a little too close to her "everyday life" to interess her too much, in my opinion
so, I say Asimov, ALL OF IT. I'm sure she would apriciate
and I agree to the other entries
The only one I argue against is Twilight shes too much of a bibliophile to pin down in any genre.
she enjoys daring do much like RD. she enjoys textbooks and dictionaries and anything learning related.
I can see her enjoying high fantasy and adventure novels even if they are too much like real life for her.
for the above reasons I have always pictured her as enjoying the works of Terry Pratchett's discworld.
It has a bit of everything along with snarky observations that she occasionally employs in the show (and to much greater degree in fanfics)
that or Douglas Adams's Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.
I saw that Ponky actually has Pinkie (Ponka Ponka Pinka Ponka! sorry) being a big fan of "Bluey Carol" in his Sisters Doo story. It makes sense. Pinkie might also be into poetry in general. And she might like children's stories as well, especially since she'll read them to the baby Cakes as they grow up.
Now for some reason, I'm curious as to who would be into Lovecraft's works. Luna? "Pinkamena"? Fluttershy? Twilight? I like the idea of the Mane Six having "darker sides" where they read stuff that you wouldn't imagine them reading. This bit of juxtaposition can add even further layers of complexity to their characters. I think that would be pretty neat.
I definitely need to start reading more stuff. Got this blog saved for later ref.
Title should have been "What fiction do the Mane Six read?" I can picture for non-fiction:
- AJ would read Farmer's Almanac
- RD would read sports magazines (and secretly keep renewing her Teen Wonderbolts subscription)
- Pinkie would have all her "1001 Joke Books" filed under Self-Help
- Rarity would keep up with fashion magazines and trade publications, and would read Gemology Monthly avidly while feigning disinterest
- Shy uses mostly folk knowledge and hedge wisdom for her animal care duties, avoiding technical veterinary journals, but she does subscribe to AdoraCute Bunnies Weekly (it's actually for Angel, who thinks it's porn)
- Twilight reads everything. She does prioritize the latest magic and science texts, along with whatever her current pet project requires. After Luna Eclipsed, I'm certain she was withers-deep in History and Culture of the Pre-Monarchy Era.
2806187 True, but it seemed like a copout to say "everything" as Twilight's book
Given her nerd-off with Rainbow Dash in the Daring Do episode, I feel confident pegging her as the type who values complex worldbuilding over other things. Things like A Song of Ice and Fire, The Dresden Files, The Dark Tower, and other doorstopper fantasy.
I actually considered Discworld for some of the ponies (mostly Twilight and Rarity), but one of the defining strengths of Discworld is its satire. Taking regular things like rock music and Christmas, and distorting them into Discworldian forms is a large part of the humor. Even though it can be enjoyed without the satirical context, I don't think any of the ponies would really like Discworld as much as other things.
2806005 Maybe; but the foreignness of fantasy is only one part of its appeal. Obviously Twilight wouldn't be as enamored with the simple presence of magic, but the density and complexity of Tolkien's world still struck me as a good fit for her.
I agree she'd probably like Asimov; his dry, technical style would definitely suit her.
2806000 I actually never read Death of a Salesman in school either (though I did watch it at my college's theater, it wasn't put on by the college). I think pony society would be all over it, though, because it teaches a lesson very relatable to their society; that trying to go against your natural skills (i.e. cutie mark) only causes heartbreak and disaster.
I think it would be less of an issue of budget, and more of the fact that Fluttershy is a severe homebody. She probably doesn't have the nerve to step out of her comfort zone on such a large scale. Otherwise, I agree.
2806285 I think Lovecraft would be read by changelings. The idea of an incomprehensible foreign entity devouring all life would certainly appeal to Chrysalis, at least. The dearth of hope in most Lovecraft stories wouldn't really gel with pony society.
2806581 Ha; I like the idea that all the animals in FIM use technical magazines as porn. The National Geographic situation writ large.
Otherwise, I can definitely picture all that. Pinkie sending Twilight to get a book from her room, and the ensuing confusion as Twilight tries to puzzle out Pinkie's sorting system could make a funny scene.
2805919 I also considered Alice in Wonderland as Pinkie's book, but The Hunting of the Snark seemed to fit much better.
hi hi
Here's my own two bits.
Applejack: She might like reading books that were either inspired by real events, or dramatizations of true stories. Perhaps something by John Steinbeck, or a tale from the age of heroic exploration, like the first people to reach the south pole.
Fluttershy: I have Fluttershy pegged as a reader of murder mystery novels. Books with intelligent, oftentimes introverted characters, uncovering problems with society at large. Sherlock Holmes might be on the top of the list. And of course, the good guys always catch the bad guy in the end.
Pinkie Pie: It is easy to fit Pinkie Pie with a good comedy. (Someone already mentioned the famous Hitchhiker's Guide.) But I also think she would probably the one pony who would love a good horror story. Even if it is only to toughen up for those times when you gotta giggle at the ghosties. I'll bet she'd read something by Stephen King, possibly while making her own ghost noises during the scary parts.
Rainbow Dash: Seeing as how Rainbow Dash had an entire episode devoted to what books she likes, this one is pretty easy. Adventure and fantasy? Even though I never read them, I suspect Harry Potter would make the grade.
Rarity: She may well be someone who enjoys sappy romance novels, but I imagine she is probably the kind of person who likes books that tug on heartstrings in all different ways. I suspect that Charlotte's Web is still on her shelf from her days as a Filly.
Twilight Sparkle: Perhaps for Twilight, the better question would be, what books wouldn't she like to read? My guess is she'd probably become frustrated and annoyed with books that have obvious factual errors in them, that aren't also obviously fantasy.
Nice pick for Pinky.
she'd probably also like e.e. cummings.
I have one:
Spike: "Dairy of a Wimpy Kid"
2806747 Can it be described as a cop out if it makes sense? :D
Fine then I counter with Raymond E Feists Midkemia books, Particularly The Magician series.
It's darker fantasy then LOTR and much to my preference focuses more on people rather then a journey. :D
dammit pun stop making me think Brains are not meant to be simulated with thought! (good blog much love)
2806998 It's a little hard to picture the type of protagonist that Fluttershy likes. Quiet, introverted types who overcome evil might certainly appeal to her. Odd Thomas might appeal to her in that case. We know she also has an assertive side though, so she might also be attracted to protagonists who are unlike her. She gave me the most trouble of any of these for a reason; her tastes are very hard to pin down.
I guess I could see Pinkie Pie enjoying horror stories as a sort of temporary catharsis thing. It would really depend on the book in question though. Something like Misery has a lot of very dark themes and it paints an incredibly bleak picture of reality; the ending is only "happy" in the sense that no more horrible things will happen. I suppose one could make a case for It, since the power of friendship™ is a major theme in it, but it's still very dark and violent.
The Harry Potter novels are very simply written, so I could see Dash enjoying those.
I did consider The Fault In Our Stars for Rarity's book for similar reasons--romance and depression double combo!--but I haven't actually read it.
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I don't think Pinkie Pie would necessarily need a happy ending to a horror story. The standard "It is finally over, or is it? Dun dun dun!" ending might even be expected. I don't exactly like horror stories myself, but I have friends that love the darn things, the scarier the better. They don't have particularly dark personalities either.
- Pinkie Pie
Ooh, also, mystery novels are a big deal for both Twily and Rarity.