We’ve all fallen for a bad boy. It’s not that we love their destructive or chaotic spirit –honestly, I find that really unhealthy. We’re drawn to their rebellious nature. They’re the total opposite of that Prince Charming we think we want. Bad boys don’t care about other people’s opinions or following the rules: they are only true to themselves.
In fiction, there are several famous bad boys. However, these fictional characters are nothing compared to the minds that created them, real-life rebels who defied moral and ethical authorities to be true to their ideology and their art. Some of the greatest works in the history of literature were inspired by the adventures and experiences of these bad boys. Now, we’ll take a look at some of these authors, who will show you what a real bad boy is like and why they’re so awesome.
1) Lord Byron
Being depicted as a vampire in someone’s story is probably one of the clearest signs you’re a bad boy. The life of George Gordon Byron, better known as Lord Byron, was filled with scandal, including an incestuous relationship with his half-sister Augusta Leigh, as well as his bisexuality. Byron’s works, as well as his public persona, inspired the literary trope of the Byronic hero, an isolated, rebellious, nihilistic, and passionate, almost villainous, type of antihero. Byron’s reputation was so infamous that he’s rumored to be the inspiration behind John William’s Polidori “The Vampyre.”
2) Arthur Rimbaud
Rimbaud belongs to the famous group of poètes maudits, that is, poets who exiled themselves from the literary currents of their time. Drug and alcohol abuse, nihilism, crime, and mental illnesses are recurring elements in the lives and books of these poets. Since he was a child, Rimbaud wrote poetry. However, his life changed after his school was used as a hospital for the wounded soldiers of the Franco-Prussian war. He decided to flee to Paris but was arrested for vagrancy, and since then, he became openly provocative: he was usually drunk, stole books, and stopped caring about his personal appearance and hygiene. However, he believed this instability in his life helped him write his poems.
3) Charles Bukowski
This author was not afraid of exploring even the dirtiest aspects of urban life. Instead, he seemed to rejoice in them, as destructive and decadent as they might’ve been. Most of Bukowski’s writings are based on real-life experiences with sex, drugs, alcohol, and violence. Bukowski’s unapologetic language in his poetry, short stories, and novels has made him an underground icon, since he was published in independent newspapers and wrote about taboo topics. Through his writing, not only did he describe a world not many talked about, but he also pointed out and spoke against the worst things about it through satire.
4) Jack Kerouac
This author perfectly embodies the archetype of the bad boy. Being part of the Beat Generation, Kerouac didn’t conform to the stable 9 to 5 life of the typical American man. Instead, he surrendered to his wanderlust and the use of psychedelic drugs to explore new levels of consciousness. In books such as The Dharma Bums and his famous On the Road, he wrote about the many experiences he lived as part of his nomadic lifestyle, as well as those lessons he would’ve never learned if he’d chosen to a more mainstream path.
5) Charles Baudelaire
Another poète maudit, Baudelaire is known as one of the most important innovators of French poetry. The philosophical axis of his poetry was considered scandalous because it openly defied the morality and social values of his time, like family and marriage, and promoted themes that were not discussed in society, like the pleasures of sex and drug consumption. He explores all these topics in his famous work Les Fleurs du Mal, a collection of poems dealing with love, sexuality, death, religion, alcoholism, and time. Baudelaire lived for his art and invited people to reject society’s norms and live the life of the artist, even if it led to misery and poverty.
6) William S. Burroughs
Burroughs takes the definition of bad boy to the extreme with seriously controversial events throughout his life, like the accidental murder of his second wife, the Beat poet Joan Vollmer (when allegedly playing William Tell while they were drunk). In most of his semi-autobiographical writings, Burroughs explores topics such as drug consumption and trafficking, his travels, and the depression he suffered from. He was well acquainted with Kerouac, who called him “the greatest satirical writer since Jonathan Swift.”
7) Truman Capote
Known for his novels In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Truman Capote had a rough childhood, but he became a prolific and talented writer. This author was a true bad boy who threw over-the-top, luxurious parties with Hollywood celebrities and plenty of drugs. Also, he openly defied social norms by acknowledging his homosexuality and being a promoter of the gay rights movement at a time when this topic was frowned upon and heavily condemned.
