'BIRLING: Yes, my dear, I know - I'm talking too much. But you youngsters just remember what I said. We can't let these Bernard Shaws and H.G. Wellses do all the talking. We hardheaded practical business men must say something sometime. And we don't guess - we've had experience - and we know.' - Which of the following is true of this character from J.B. Priestley's play, An Inspector Calls?

Who are the most memorable characters from fiction? All readers have a favorite, a person who seems as real as the people they see every day. In some cases, a character can seem even more real. Think of Atticus Finch, Scout, Huckleberry Finn, Scrooge - it can be hard to believe these people are purely the invention of their authors.