Loved the Book but Hated the Characters

[Dark Muse]

I am currently reading The Corrections right now which features a cast of unlikable characters and discussion of the book sparked the question, can you really love a book if you find the main characters to be dislikable.

This began to bring my mind books of which either I myself loved or now are generally well liked by others in spite of featuring loathsome characters.

First thing which popped into my head was A Clockwork Orange, which I absolutely loved.

Than I thought of Lolita of which while I myself did not care for it very much (and not really so much because of my feelings about the characters) I know many people rave about this book.

and Shakespeare also came to mind.

So this made me curious, what books have you thoroughly enjoyed in spite of, (or perhaps because of) the unlikeablity of the main characters?

[Charles Darnay]

I think you have to ground your definition of "unlikable"

the central character of A Clockwork Orange, for example, is one that I would never want to go out for a beer with, but in the realm of fiction I think he is a very "likable" character in that he is a well written character. I think literature is spotted with these. When I think of "unlikable" characters, I think of really irritating ones who are often not well written and just....awful. The example I turn to is Emma Bovary. I hated the book because I could find nothing likable about the character.

[Dark Muse]

I think you have to ground your definition of "unlikable"

the central character of A Clockwork Orange, for example, is one that I would never want to go out for a beer with, but in the realm of fiction I think he is a very "likable" character in that he is a well written character. I think literature is spotted with these. When I think of "unlikable" characters, I think of really irritating ones who are often not well written and just....awful. The example I turn to is Emma Bovary. I hated the book because I could find nothing likable about the character.

By unlikable I simply mean your own personal impression of the character and whether nor not while reading the book you liked, or disliked the characters.

You do not like books that are open ended very much do you? :brow: I have noticed a frequent tendency whenever someone asks a question which is left open to a degree of personal interpretation you always request a specific definition of the question.

[Ellie]

Rand Al'Thor - hands down. You fall in love with this dumb sheep farmer kid but at the end of the day, he turns out to be a pompous, arrogant little snot with way too much power and influence and you want to just kick him in the teeth. Meanwhile, I can't wait til 2013 when the last book is out. :p

As a side note, this is an interesting question for me because I sort of have a similar issues(of an opposite nature) with anything James Patterson writes. I LOVE his writing style. He's so easy going and almost simplistic in his writing that anyone can read and enjoy his stories. There is nothing difficult to understand or dissect about any of his characters because they're all so well rounded and fleshed out. On the other hand, as much as I enjoy his writing - I always feel as if I'm reading the same characters over and over again.

It's almost like watching a (any) Stephen Segal movie that you've never seen but feel almost certainly that you have. The characters names have changed, the circumstances of the plot are different but it's always the same theme and story line.

The strange thing is that even though I know the theme of every James Patterson book is going to be similar to the last, I keep reading them because his writing style just pulls me back in.

[JBI]

The characters in the Corrections grow on you the more you read the book.

[Charles Darnay]

By unlikable I simply mean your own personal impression of the character and whether nor not while reading the book you liked, or disliked the characters.

You do not like books that are open ended very much do you? :brow: I have noticed a frequent tendency whenever someone asks a question which is left open to a degree of personal interpretation you always request a specific definition of the question.

I love open ended books. For the purposes of discussion, I think people should be on the same page.

[rootinghog]

For whatever reason, the Russians spring to mind. Particularly Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment or Notes from the Underground. It's almost like I love to hate Dostoevsky's characters, and hate to love Tolstoy's. With Dostoevsky, it's fascinating to witness the demise of characters striving after greatness/evil; with Tolstoy, I'm loath to recognize aspects of myself in the often self-serving and deluded characters.

And while mention of TV may be unwelcome on a lit forum, I'm always impressed when a serious show can successfully create an unlikeable/unredeemable central character (and stick to it). Breaking Bad and, to a lesser extent, Mad Men come to mind.

[dark desire]

Warning: Spoilers ahead. Don't read if you have not read the mentioned books.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - The characters are likable in the start but as the novel moves towards its darker end I almost wanted something bad to happen to the central character. And when that did not happen as the story moved forward it thrilled me even more. The characters become highly detestable but the story keeps getting more and more gripping.

Shalimar the Clown, by Salman Rushdie - not one of the greater works by the novelist I liked the book. The characters again were okay in the start but towards the end as they turn against each other, you cannot decide whom do you want to win and whom do you want to lose. It's a political satire so the plot does not really matter that much though.

[Alexander III]

To be honest I don't think I have ever read a book, were at some point I did not start to appreciate one of the protagonists.

[crusoe]

In Thérèse Raquin by Emile Zola I hate nearly everybody .The Mother, her weak son,
Therese, her Lover and the evening-guests. However, it's one of the best Crime-Novels of all Times. (IMHO)

[ChicagoReader]

Joseph K. in Kafka's The Trial was very unlikable for me. He abused everyone around him was completely irrational in his actions. Also pretty much every Gaddis character annoyed me with their bumbling, incoherent dialogue, but that's just Gaddis. I'll also second the protagonist from Notes from the Underground, I felt no pity for him.

[kelby_lake]

I can't think of any book that I've loved but hated the characters. Some of them may have characters that aren't particularly likeable.