I'm looking for epic, tragic, heroic… In general characters with a lot of weight in their stories, as opposed to "generic protagonist" upon whom the story happens. I can't quite put a finger on what makes a character click for me so giving a few examples:
The brothers Karamazov, Valjean or Javert from les Miserables, or the count of Monte Cristo are classics with really strong characters (for me at least).
But you can find them in non-spec lit / literary fiction as well. For example Sam Vimes, Granny Weatherwax, the characters of His Dark Materials, Ged from Earthsea, … There's something in those books that really make me root and care for the characters in them that not every author manages to get. I don't care about the genre a lot TBH, would love to be surprised by a noir or spy novel, or terror or a thriller IDC.
Thanks!
by AffectionateSet9043