Fathers in Fiction

To celebrate Father’s Day, it’s the turn of fictional dads to take the limelight. From classic novels to dystopia, crime and children’s favourites, there are fun and formidable father figures who stand out on the page and are etched in our memories. Here are a few of our favourites

If you thought cheering on the sidelines of a football match in the driving rain was the ultimate in parental dedication, you clearly need to dust off your edition of The Odyssey. Having fought in one of the most brutal military campaigns in ancient history, Odysseus spent ten painful years trying to get home to his wife and son. Following encounters with Scylla and Charybdis, a storm sent by Poseidon, and a battle with a Cyclops, he clocked up several thousand sea miles and a fantastic collection of after-dinner anecdotes.

A man guides his son through the appalling landscape of post-apocalyptic America, and it is their incredible bond that keeps them alive and clinging to hope. The unconditional love of a father for his son makes this novel a particularly difficult read but is also powerful and redemptive. The man protects, educates and nurtures his son, one day at a time and that is the most precious of gifts a parent can give.

No one’s going to mess with you in the playground if they know your dad is Vito Corleone. Loved by his family and friends, feared by pretty much everyone else, Vito is a man to be reckoned with.