Discussion: Let's talk about unlikable characters
In last week’s review of The Magnificent Ambersons, I wrote about the highly unlikable character of George Amberson Minafer. Author Booth Tarkington created an annoying character who totally worked in the context of the story.
It’s a very fine line, though; when a character is too unlikable, I may end up with no interest in learning more about their arc and just DNF it. But when the character is complex (rather than caricatured) and when the author can make me feel some sympathy for them, this kind of character can be a real boon to a story — even if they never redeem themselves.
So, I want to hear from you: Who are your “favorite” unlikable characters in fiction? The ones who annoy you, but have stuck with you and even grown on you over time? Who are the unlikable characters who have added the most to a story?
A few of them for me:
the aforementioned George Amberson Minafer
a couple of dour and unpleasant Russian titans: Prince Andrei from War and Peace and Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment
the distasteful, shallow, and very similar women Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby) and Lady Brett Ashley (The Sun Also Rises)
Alright, your turn!
Scarlet O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. She actually remains stubbornly consistent throughout but the contrast with her shows character development in others - especially Rhett Butler. Plus the look at a culture who lost is fascinating.
I usually need at least one character I can root for – but I get really excited when a 'bad' character reveals more of themselves, fires up my empathy, and wins me over. That happened in The Mars House by Natasha Pulley. A character is clearly set up to be a villain, but slowly shows that she's got hidden depths AND she changes her behavior. YAY, growth! ;-)
My first thought when I read this question, though, was Edward Rochester. Is he unlikable? I usually don't think so. He's presented so sympathetically by Charlotte Brontë. But on one of my readings a few years ago, I was, like, 'What a jerk! He's so self pitying and whiny.' I found him very unlikable that time around. For some reason I have less of a problem with the attic situation and more with the 'dressing up as a fortune teller' thing. But ultimately, all is always forgive because he's EDWARD ROCHESTER.
I love all of Lucy Foley's thrillers — The Hunting Party, The Guest List, The Paris Apartment, The Midnight Feast — and they are filled with very unlikable characters, but the plots are so clever and the secrets revealed are so yummy, I don't care that a) someone is going to die and b) everyone else is awful. They're super fun from beginning to end.