No one is immediately coming to my mind, so perhaps that means I have no favorite. But, also, your question immediately made me think of this song - - I had to post it! I hope you like it.
I've read a fair few novels - and find I never really fully trust the characters. I find even the most well rounded and realistic portrayals is never enough for me, never as full or as deep as the way I see people. I think it's a function of the medium - not a flaw in authors. There's only so much space (allotted word count) and the writer has to decide which traits count most for building the plot and to show character development and change. Same as the way a portrait can only show a snapshot of someone, can only hint at who they might be, cannot reveal the whole.
Your question inspires me, Twinkle. Could I write a novel which really portrays a whole person as fully and truthfully as possible (my mother, for instance)? And then the blocking question arises, would others find it worth reading?
The dominant trend in literature now is to write fiction on refugees, the migrant experience, injustice or ecological themes. It gets recognition and respect if it's written from personal experience. My Mum's life included none of those issues. Ho hum. The answer will emerge in time. I just have to wait for the insight, the intuition - the guess that feels right.
This post was edited by inky at July 1, 2019 1:20 PM MDT