Whether cute or disgusting, pigs seem to find their way into many stories. Spanning many decades and genres, here is my list of the top five literary characters that just so happen to be pigs. Sometimes they are charming, like Olivia, but frequently, disturbing like Snowball and Napoleon.
1. Snowball and Napoleon, 1984 by George Orwell
2. Wilbur, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
3. Hen Wen, The Book of Three, The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander
4. Olivia, Olivia by Ian Falconer
5. Percy the Pig, The Stuff of Legend, Mike Raicht and Brian Smith
Honorable Mention: the pig baby from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Have a favorite literary pig? Submit your favorite in the comments section!
Aside from the ones you’ve mentioned, a favorite of mine is the pig from the story “Ashes” inNstalie Babbit’s collection “The Devil’s Storybook”, who, through hilarious circumstances, finds himself glued to the hip of a man in hell.
The same volume has a fantastic story called “The Power of Speech”, featuring a goat named Walpurgis who is hands-down my favorite literary goat!
I love Natalie Babbit – I’ll have to read that story!