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Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2022 2:49 pm
by EdRomero
Just finished Confederacy of Dunces (awesome audiobook version), and searched if anyone here wrote about it and found this quote from Shirley:
I've been listening to The Kite Runner in my car this week. Man. Before this one, I think the most unlikable main character I had ever come across was Ignatius J Reilly from A Confederacy of Dunces, but at least he was unintentionally funny and pretty much harmless. This kid Amir's actions are just stomach turning at this point.
Which was funny because during this book and reading Uncle Tom's Cabin, I was thinking of the most unlikable characters topic. In Dunces, I hated Mrs. Levy, the wife of the Levy Pants owner and in Tom's Cabin I hated Marie St. Clare, the wife, of a "good" slave owner. In both cases, the characters are beyond spoiled with a warped view of reality who do some horrendous things. Now that I think about it, that these two female characters, and not all the other murdering, raping (I recently read Clockwork Orange too) criminal characters, made me think of this topic might be saying something about me.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 10:43 am
by DaveInSeattle
The protagonist in "A House for Mr Biswas", Mohun Biswas, was a completely unlikable character. As was Sam Pollit from "The Man Who Loved Children".

But in those cases, I think that was mostly the point.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 3:56 pm
by L-Jam3
So I guess I was the only one who read A Separate Peace in high school.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 4:38 pm
by sancarlos
The main character in The Art of the Deal is a real asshole.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 4:41 pm
by duff
L-Jam3 wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 3:56 pm So I guess I was the only one who read A Separate Peace in high school.
I remember reading it. I don't remember anything about it. I know I hated it.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 5:15 pm
by Pruitt3
L-Jam3 wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 3:56 pm So I guess I was the only one who read A Separate Peace in high school.
Hated that book, but pretty much forgot everything...
[+] spoiler
Didn't someone break their leg or something and then die?

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2022 7:32 pm
by Johnnie
I read A Separate Peace in high school. Thanks for reminding me. Boring fucking book from what I remember, but it was far better than Washington Square who had a scumbag main character from what I'm reading on Wiki because I only remember I hated it.

But isn't the eternal answer to this question Holden Cauffield despite the fact he's a teen writing from a mental institution?

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 5:40 pm
by blundercrush
There is a (fantasy?) series where the main character opens with commiting statutory rape. I didn't read further to see how they come back from it. author and title escape me. Was written over 30 years ago for sure.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:00 pm
by P.D.X.
Did they make a popular tv show out of it?

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:35 pm
by mister d
Seinfeld?

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 9:21 pm
by sancarlos
mister d wrote: Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:35 pmSeinfeld?
Reminds me of one of my favorite jokes.
“Conan O’Brien” wrote:Jerry Seinfeld finally proposed to Shoshanna Lonstein, on the night of her 21st birthday. Apparently he wanted to wait until then to make sure she wasn’t just using him to buy beer.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:20 am
by A_B
Big Jim Rennie in Under the Dome is as bad as Stephen King has ever put forward and that's saying a lot. Played by Dean Norris (Hank Schrader) in the TV show.

And I'll say it...both Amy and Nick Dunne in Gone Girl are reprehensible.

Re: Books -- most unlikable characters

Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 4:09 pm
by blundercrush
P.D.X. wrote: Mon Sep 19, 2022 8:00 pm Did they make a popular tv show out of it?
It's definitely not GoT no. Found the character, Thomas Covenant.