# Books with extremely unlikable protagonists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 13, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262 "2005-07-13T00:47:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/21 "2005-07-13T02:56:48Z")
Come to think of it, I’ve seen it mentioned in other threads, but Willy Wonka isn’t likable at all, is he? The stuff he lets happen to those kids (whose biggest crime is–as far as I can tell–acting like kids) would get him jailed and sued IRL. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/22 "2005-07-13T03:10:05Z")
John Updike’s [Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-explorer/explore-items/-/0679444599/0/101/1/none/purchase/ref%3Dpd%5Fsxp%5Fr0/002-3537490-1296011) seems to be devoid of any redeeming quality whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/23 "2005-07-13T03:11:37Z")
Sorry, I forgot about the “Books” im the title. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/24 "2005-07-13T03:18:31Z")
**Vanity Fair** ’s protagonist, Becky Sharp, even merited the subtitle, “The Novel Without A Heroine”. I believe I read that Scarlett O’Hara was based on Becky, who is also a manipulative, selfish social climber. However, the book’s other characters are so stupid or silly that one really hopes that Becky succeeds in putting it over on them all. ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/25 "2005-07-13T03:20:18Z")
Funny this thread pops up today because I just finished \ ***Heart of the Country** \*and was thinking the same thing about the main character, Joe. I never really liked him. I totally understood why he was so bitter (having a hunchback and never really being accepted by society and all that) but he started out as a nasty piece of work and never really totally redeemed himself, IMHO. In fact, I really didn’t care for any of the main characters throughout the book. The all seemed more than a bit self-centered and the only remotely likable character (Phoebe) turned out to be a side plot, unfortunately. Still, a well written book well-worth the read though. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/26 "2005-07-13T03:24:55Z")
> [@teela brown](#): > > **Vanity Fair** ’s protagonist, Becky Sharp, even merited the subtitle, “The Novel Without A Heroine”. I believe I read that Scarlett O’Hara was based on Becky, who is also a manipulative, selfish social climber. However, the book’s other characters are so stupid or silly that one really hopes that Becky succeeds in putting it over on them all. Scarlett was Melanie Wilkes compared to Becky Sharp. Still, even as much as you hate Becky, she’s a fun character-the kind you love to hate. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/27 "2005-07-13T03:28:44Z")
> [@teela brown](#): > > **Vanity Fair** ’s protagonist, Becky Sharp, even merited the subtitle, “The Novel Without A Heroine”. I believe I read that Scarlett O’Hara was based on Becky, who is also a manipulative, selfish social climber. However, the book’s other characters are so stupid or silly that one really hopes that Becky succeeds in putting it over on them all. Actually, the subtitle to _Vanity Fair_ is “A Novel Without A Hero”. Whether Thackeray intended this to apply to both genders, or to leave Miss Sharp still in the running, is of course up for debate. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/28 "2005-07-13T03:40:15Z")
Many of J. P. Donleavy’s protagonists are lying, drunken bastards, none more so than Sebastian Dangerfield, hero of _The Ginger Man_. My favorite is Stephen O’Kelly’O from _Wrong Information Is Being Given Out at Princeton_. More info at [http://www.jpdonleavycompendium.org/](http://www.jpdonleavycompendium.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/29 "2005-07-13T04:27:21Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#): > > I can’t totally remember, but I am pretty sure I wanted Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights to grow a pair or two every so often. I may be confusing him with Cathy or Hector, though. You beat me to mentioning Heathcliffe. Before I ever picked up a copy of _Wuthering Heights_, I’d had the impression that Heathcliffe and Catherine were tragic lovers. This is because every reference to them in movies makes them seem that way–two people thwarted in love. But when I tried to read the book, I couldn’t even finish it–Old Cliffy was such a flaming a-hole and Cathy such a spoiled silly little bitch that I lost all sympathy for them, and I couldn’t enjoy the story. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/30 "2005-07-13T04:47:04Z")
I personally wanted to kick the main character guy in **Slaughterhouse Five** …but he dodged. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/31 "2005-07-13T04:56:43Z")
God of the Old Testament **Bible**. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/32 "2005-07-13T06:15:35Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > A second vote for Holden Caulfield. I couldn’t stand him. He was such an irritating character that I never managed to finish the book. Thirded. I had to read that crap in 11th grade, but I hated that bastard with the fire of 10,000 black hole accretion disks. Why anyone could like such a vain, shallow, and stupid character is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/33 "2005-07-13T08:02:47Z")
Can’t remember his name but I took an almost instant dislike to the\*\* narrator\*\* of Ishiguro’s ‘ **When We Were Orphans** ’, I struggled to finish the bok and certainly never cared. Holden CAULFIELD ? I just assumed he was a typical American 😛 > [@Chanteuse](#): > > You beat me to mentioning Heathcliffe. Before I ever picked up a copy of _Wuthering Heights_, I’d had the impression that Heathcliffe and Catherine were tragic lovers. This is because every reference to them in movies makes them seem that way–two people thwarted in love. But when I tried to read the book, I couldn’t even finish it–Old Cliffy was such a flaming a-hole and Cathy such a spoiled silly little bitch that I lost all sympathy for them, and I couldn’t enjoy the story. Yes !! I am not alone !! & While we’re at it Romeo and Juliet ? Stupid kids !! ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/34 "2005-07-13T08:39:51Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > It has been nearly forty years since I read Thomas Hardy’s _The Mayor of Casterbridge_, but I can still remember how much I disliked the title character. God yes, but I also felt so sorry for him. He reminded me of some of my male relatives (well none of them actually sold their wives whilst drunk, it was more the black moods and stormclouded personality). What about **Tom Ripley** from Patricia Highsmith’s _ **Ripley** _ series? Complete bloody psychopath, literally, but the writing was so good that it was almost like you could put your conscience aside and vicariously experience life as Ripley. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/35 "2005-07-13T08:40:18Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > Holden CAULFIELD ? I just assumed he was a typical American 😛 Sadly, yes. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/36 "2005-07-13T11:49:00Z")
> [@Cat Jones](#): > > While we’re at it Romeo and Juliet ? Stupid kids !! Agreed on this, especially if you tend to favor Asimov’s analysis that the feud between the families was winding down to the point where the only person on either side actually still fighting was Tybalt, because that viewpoint turns R&J into the two biggest emo kid drama queens of the Middle Ages. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/37 "2005-07-13T13:31:42Z")
All of the main characters in the Jurassic Park series after the first one. Actually, this is an ongoing complaint of mine re: Crichton. I even have a thread around here entitled “Michael Crichton Sucks Eggs”, which I do believe was my first thread ever to go to two pages. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/38 "2005-07-13T13:43:51Z")
Jaq Draco from Ian Watson’s _Inquisitor_ series. When he got his brains blown out I actually did a little happy dance. The main character from Camus’s _L’entranger_. God I hated that guy. Much like any of Ayn Rand’s characters, really. Anti-heroes are cool, but if the reader is wishing for your protagonist to be tortured, dismembered, and killed, well, you might want to rethink… -Joe, membered, if you know what I mean ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/39 "2005-07-13T13:50:36Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > God of the Old Testament **Bible**. Covenant has already been taken? Oh well then, lI’ll go with what Askia said. That, or Lee from Card Captor Sakura. What a little brat! ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262/40 "2005-07-13T14:07:40Z")
Lucifer, from the DC Comics series by Mike Carey of the same name. He’s very charming and throughout most of the series you root for him to succeed, but he really is not a good guy. –Cliffy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/books-with-extremely-unlikable-protagonists/312262.md?page=3)