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10 of the Greatest Kisses in Literature

By Emily Temple
Feb 14 2012, 10:03 AM ET Comment

Which characters had the best snog in literary history?

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It's Valentine's Day, and you know what that means—time to pucker up and give that special someone a stars-and-fireworks-worthy kiss. Like any other book nerds, we can't help but think about our favorite literary romances—and in particular, our favorite literary makeout sessions—to give us a little divine inspiration.

After all, there's nothing more romantic than that most elemental of expressions of affection, and who could paint it better than the likes of Shakespeare, Nabokov and Byron? So if you're looking for a few ideas (or just some steamy bathtub reading) this Valentine's day, read through 10 of the greatest kisses in literature.

This post also appears on Flavorpill, an Atlantic partner site.

Image credit: Louis Hersent

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