Someone says that "Art imitates Life." This is why artists paint people they see on the streets, musicians listen to birdsong, and writers dedicate their novels to the people they love. Anything may serve as a source of inspiration, sometimes even extremely scary stories that we need to know to learn more about our favorite books.
For example, Tintin from "The Adventures of Tintin" was inspired by a real-life boy named Palle Huld, who completed a trip to 8 countries in 44 days in 1927. Similarly, "The Lady of the Camellias" was based on the author's short love affair with a courtesan, Marie Duplessis. This woman also serves as the novel's female protagonist Marguerite Gautier.
These are just a few examples, but countless other book characters have been based on real people. While such characters can add an extra layer of complexity and depth to a story, it's important to remember that they are still fictional creations and may not necessarily reflect the actual personalities or experiences of their real-life counterparts.
#1 Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Warner Bros.
Ginevra King was a daughter of a rich Chicago businessman. She first met Francis Scott Fitzgerald when she was 16 years old and he was 18 years old. They fell in love immediately away, and their romance lasted for 2 years. But then, Ginevra sends Francis a letter to tell him that she married the son of one of her father’s partners. Biographers think that Fitzgerald probably heard “poor boys shouldn’t dream of marrying rich girls,” from Ginevra's father.
#2 Margarita Gautier, The Lady of the Camellias
Source: Edouard Vienot, Camille / MGM
The love of Dumas fils, Marie Duplessis, served as the model for the main character in "The Lady of the Camellias". She stopped buying fragrant flowers like roses because of tuberculosis, and instead, she loves camellias because they essentially had no fragrance.
#3 Van Helsing, Dracula
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Universal Studios
When Austria annexed a part of the Balkans, he went to Moravia to look into the "vampire attacks" that the locals had been talking about. After that, Van Swieten produced a report in which he gave a scientific explanation for each event and provided evidence that vampires did not exist. Other medical professionals backed him, and the empress formally prohibited the killing of people who were thought to be vampires. Most likely, it was Gerard van Swieten who gave Bram Stoker the idea to develop the character of a Dutch doctor who specializes in vampire research.
#4 Treebeard, The Lord of the Rings
Source: Wikimedia Commons, New Line Cinema
Clive Staples Lewis had a booming voice and was an excellent speaker. Even from behind closed doors, people could hear Lewis when he was lecturing. And Tolkien gave the oldest surviving Ent in Middle-earth such a voice.
#5 John Silver, Treasure Island
Source: Wikimedia Commons, BSkyB
William Ernest Henley had bone tuberculosis, which led to the amputation of his left leg below the knee. He had to walk with a crutch his whole life. Those who know him described him as a bushy-bearded look with a loud voice. Robert Louis Stevenson was among those who knew him. Stevenson later said in a letter to Henley, “I will now confess: It was the sight of your maimed strength and masterfulness that begot Long John Silver... the idea of the maimed man, ruling and dreaded by the sound, was entirely taken from you.”
#6 Santiago, The Old Man, and the Sea
Source: Ogden Entertainment
Before the publication of "The Old Man and the Sea", Gregorio Fuentes met Ernest Hemingway in 1928. Aside from being Hemingway's boat's captain, Gregorio also cooked for him, went fishing with him, and monitored German submarines during World War II. Therefore, it is not unexpected that Gregorio is thought to be the model for the character in "The Old Man and the Sea".
#7 Lisbeth Salander, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Source: Sveriges Radio, Relativity Media
Swedish writer Stig Larsson freely admitted that Astrid Lindgren's characters were his inspiration. In Lindgren's books, the journalist Mikael Blomkvist, also known as Kalle Blomkvist, is a young investigator. Lisbeth Salander’s character was modeled around Pippi Longstocking's potential adult version.
#8 Captain Quint, Jaws
Source: © Jaws / Universal Pictures
Peter Benchley, the author of "Jaws", spent a long time trying to come up with a compelling plot for the novel about a massive shark. In 1964, he had a breakthrough. At the time, American newspapers wrote about an extremely lucky fisherman Frank Mundus who had caught many sharks. One of them weighs almost two tons. Benchley even went fishing with Mundus after meeting him. Later, Peter and Frank began to defend the sharks. When Mundus was asked about the movie "Jaws", he dismissed the specifics of the film, asserting that no real shark could pull a boat like in the movie.
#9 The Snow Queen
Source: ABC Studios, Wikimedia Commons
According to Carole Rosen's biographer, opera soprano Jenny Lind may be the model for the Snow Queen with her cold heart. They met in 1840 and became friends. The writer fell in love with her, but she did not reciprocate his feelings.
#10 Tintin, The Adventures of Tintin
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Paramount Pictures
In 1928, the Danish daily Politiken launched a contest for youths. The competition winner would have the opportunity to travel the world in 46 days, and the newspaper would cover the cost. They could go by anything, except by planes. A 15-year-old named Palle Huld won out of hundreds of competitors. In 44 days, he finished his journey, and 20,000 people greeted him in Copenhagen. Palle traveled to the USSR, China, Korea, Japan, Great Britain, Poland, Canada, Germany, and Great Britain. The Tintin comic book was published in 1928, the year following Palle's journey. Like his model, Tintin went on several adventures and explored the world.
#11 Ichabod Crane, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Source: Wikimedia Commons, Mandalay Pictures
During the War of 1812, Washington Irving worked for Daniel Tompkins, the governor of New York, and met Ichabod Crane while traveling with Tompkins. The writer only took his name. He took the character from Jesse Merwin, a country schoolmaster in upstate New York where Irving spent a number of months in 1809. In contrast to the fictional character in the novel, Merwin was well-liked and lived a long life.