Getting a tattoo is high on a lot of people's wishlist, but when it comes to it, the tricky bit is deciding just what to get an inking of. Let's face it, dolphins and 90s-style barbed wire have given body ink a bit of a bad rep.
But a new wave of literary-inspired tattoos is proving you can be a bit creative without ending up with a garish design. Tattoo artists the world over are being asked to immortalise their clients' favourite novels, poems and fairytales, be it with a quote or a symbol, and the results are surprisingly minimalist and stylish.
From The Notebook's most memorable line to Harry Potter's spectacles and Mr Darcy's hat, be prepared to be seriously inspired.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tattoo
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The Catcher in the Rye tattoo
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The Fault in Our Stars tattoo
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Clockwork Orange tattoo
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Farenheit 451 tattoo
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Alice in Wonderland tattoo
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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close tattoo
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Hamlet tattoo
“This above all, to thine own self be true”.
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Ink and quill tattoo
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The Great Gatsby tattoo
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Alice in Wonderland quote tattoo
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Pride & Prejudice “I declare” tattoo
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Harry Potter stars tattoo
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To Kill A Mockingbird tattoo
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Harry Potter spectacles and scar tattoo
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The Little Prince tattoo
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Lord of the Rings tattoo
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Matilda tattoo
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Sherlock Holmes tattoo
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The Kite Runner tattoo
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“I love you most ardently” Pride & Prejudice tattoo
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Les Misérables tattoo
A reference to Jean Valjean's prisoner number.
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On the Origin of Species tattoo
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Peter Rabbit tattoo
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Still I Rise (Maya Angelou) tattoo
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The Notebook tattoo
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Slaughterhouse-Five tattoo
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The Tempest tattoo
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The Scarlet Letter tattoo
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The Bell Jar tattoo
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The Wizard of Oz tattoo
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Where the Wild Things Are tattoo
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Mr Darcy tattoo
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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader tattoo
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