To ask which book characters irrationally annoy you?

[WaterBird]

I'm currently reading the play "The Rise and Fall of Arturo UI" by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht (though it takes place in Chicago). There is a fairly minor character (at least at the point in the play where I'm at) called Young Dogsborough, whose father is a major character in his 80's. Any time the son says anything, it is to unnecessarily agree with the father. For example if the father says, "They've gone", the son will then say "My father says they've gone."
Which book characters have you felt annoyed by?

@SchrodingersUnicorn

Colin Craven. Yes, I think I mentioned him upthread. To be fair, I blame his father, who ought to have known better and pulled himself together a bit far sooner.

Oh, and Mr J L B Matekoni (The Number One Ladies Detective Agency). The man is lovely and kindhearted, yes, but he needs to grow a spine and stop letting the woman who runs the orphan farm push him around. Nice doesn't have to equal doormat.

Big Nutbrown Hare. Smug, one-upping git.

Ah Joyce Barnaby, the deadliest woman in Midsomer. Every time Joyce gets a hobby, someone DIES. And sadly it's never drippy Joyce.

Love Grace Makutzi from NO1 LDA though even though she is irritating

Has no one else discovered annoying Irene Pollock (Bertie's mother) yet though in the Scotland Street series?

George from Of Mice and Men, but mainly for his reputation outside of the book for being Lennie's devoted protector which I think is underserved - if that was his role, he did it poorly, making sometimes cruel and unwise decisions.

Irene is very annoying, but she is meant to be, everybody in the books despises her. Alexander McColl Smith’s Edinburgh women are all irritating, he seems to have no concept that most women have jobs nowadays. His female characters all either have unlikely private incomes or husbands with unrealistic salaries.

Ravenclaw, I remember poor Joan. I read far too much Enid Blyton and swallowed it all.

@CarolineForbes I loved the Outlander books, they are much better than the TV show, and I also liked the show. Best books I have ever read.

I don't think Claire is annoying at all except when she says Jesus H Roosevelt Christ Jamie is more lovable in the books too. You are in for a treat.

Sitting here in Florida I would say Mickey Mouse, how can grown adults, usually women, get so hysterical about a mouse, they wear and own everything Mousy and scream as though he was the latest pop star!
In the real world I find Lizzie and Jane Bennett too good for words.

@longtimelurkerhelen
I just wish I could forget the fecking singing Sassenach.

@Ragnarthe If you mean the bit on the TV show, yes that bit was appalling.

I really dislike Emma Bovary. I realise opportunities for women were limited and life could easily get boring but I still think she's a shagabout twat.

@longtimelurkerhelen yep!

I know everyone dislikes her Chem but she is definitely worth a mention

Dora - the first wife in David Copperfield. What a simpering idiot. How he could stand to talk to her I have no idea!

Agree with Melanie Wilkes, Cousin Helen and Ron Weasley.

I loved Clare in the time-traveller's wife - poor woman. The film was dreadful though.

Agree with the pp who said Jane Eyre was a waste of paper - she should have died with her friend right at the start!

Agree with everyone who thinks Cousin Helen can fuck right off with her little scholar shit.

Not RTFT but I hated the kid in Room. Him and his Silly Penis got right on my wick! I was kind of hoping for him to be abducted again which I don’t think was the aim of the book!

Oh and Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey in fifty shades of shit. Pair of cunts. Not sure it’s irrational mind you.

Oh my god, EVERYONE in The Secret Garden annoyed me. Tbf, I only read the book for the first time last year, so I'd really left it far too late to be "enchanted" by it, but... why is it supposed to be good? There's fuck all exciting going on, and the characters are all so disgustingly irritating.

@LOTR

Same.

Read it at publication and thought what a beautiful romance

Read it years later and felt so upset for Claire, she is programmed for life that this is her fate and parts of it are a bit groomy. She never had a choice.

She ends up the long suffering spouse of an absent man who is un/intentionally abusive towards her.

Not romantic in the least and miserable for her

It shows that your thoughts on relationships do evolve as you get older, same thing with Gatsby, didn't get it the first time, borderline had a breakdown over it second time as it really resonated

Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop. I so agree with Oscar Wilde's statement that "One must have a heart of stone to read the death of little Nell without laughing".

Mentioning The Secret Garden reminded me of A Little Princess.

Sara's rich father dies, leaves her penniless with school fees unpaid, and forced to work as a servant to pay her way. Seen as absolutely dreadful but she is still kind (unlike real poor girls!).

Her wealth is restored and she rescues her poor friend Becky by ...... making Becky her servant!

Made me really angry with her.