Books with dislikable characters

[amillionnamechangeslater000]

Ok so weird request, but I have noticed that I tend to quite like books with unlikable and even pretty loathsome characters - think Gone Girl, The Casual Vacancy, and more recently The Recovery of Rose Gold.

So - can anyone recommend any books in this vein (yes I know it’s a bit weird)

@Artus

My Brilliant Friend, both the main characters are very flawed.

Oooh yes, good call - that is definitely one for the list. I thought of a couple more:

• The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
• The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
• Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll - so trashy but I loved it

@SonEtLumiere Shantaram is probably a book I have genuinely loathed the narrator! I literally kicked the book when I finished.

So many great suggestions

@Panticus glad it’s not just me

I disliked pretty much everyone in Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. The main character was a neurotic mess who constantly self sabotaged, her parents were awful and most of the other teenagers she was at the private school with were horrible people.

I loathed Emma Bovary too @MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately. I remember sitting in a French lit tutorial at university marvelling that anyone felt sympathy for her.

Therese Raquin is full of unlikeable characters.

The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis - deeply unpleasant narrator
And Intimacy by Hamid Kureshi
However, I found both narrators so objectionable that I couldn't enjoy the books.

Emma is most annoying.
Kay Scarpetta in Patricia Cornwell's novels is really the most self absorbed and up her own backside heroine. I do enjoy the books though.

@EineReiseDurchDieZeit

Paul from Sons And Lovers. What a twat.

@peaceanddove actually think Tokyo is the only Mo Hayder I haven’t read so will add to the list.

Started The Slap this afternoon - three characters in and enjoying it so far - and so far two out of three seem loathsome so thanks for the suggestion

Another one to say, "The Slap"
If its possible, and it was, "Barracuda", was possibly worse.
I actually think the author is just a nasty, hateful man.

My Lovely Wife - just finished it, couldn't put it down. The 2 main characters are just as bad as each other!

The 'heroine' in The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton. Sadly, I think many women are like her.

Heathcliff of course.

[quote amillionnamechangeslater000]@peaceanddove actually think Tokyo is the only Mo Hayder I haven’t read so will add to the list.[/quote]
It's sometimes known as The Butcher of Nanking too. Have you read Pig Island? I wish to God she'd start writing again but she seems to have disappeared

Jack Randall in Outlander. The final scene he's involved in stayed with me a while after reading.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Razgut really grated on me, as did The White Wolf.

Joffrey in Game of Thrones. What a brat!

The main character in Needlemouse, by Jane O'Connor is just awful, which is the whole point of the book.

Atonement

@NeutralJanet I came here to say Prep! Hands down the character I hate the most out of every book I've ever read.

Also agree with suggestions of Lionel Shriver's books, maybe try So Much For All That or Big Brother.

The Wasp Factory perhaps? Quite a gross and fucked up book without much to like about the people in it.

Have downloaded a lot of these suggestions! Am thinking I may need to also intersperse when some of the recommendations for restful audiobooks on another thread to balance out the nastiness!

@JaneJeffer just had to come on to say 'Mansfield Park - full of wankers' proper made me laugh out loud. So true!

Oooh enjoying this thread. Vilette has been on the bedside table for months, I must give it a go! I loved Revolutionary Road but it made me feel a bit grubby afterwards the characters are so unrelentingly nasty.
Please no more of the “Sons & Lovers” that’s taking me back to A levels and not in a good way!

@NeutralJanet totally agree about Prep, I love Curtis Sittenfeld but that one was full of unpleasant characters!

The Crimson Petal and the White, Michel Faber. Some good nasty ones in there.

Oh yes, The Party. They're all awful.

That reminds me, I've just read After The Party by Cressida Conolly and didn't realise for a bit that the characters were fascists. History isn't my strong suit - Oswald Mosley should have alerted me. At first it seemed like Mallory Towers for grown-ups.