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?

Oh and Harry Potter

IT IS HIS FAULT SIRIUS DIES

Twerp.

QueenoftheAndells I didn't know that . But it's still a masculine name isn't it? And she was a little bit annoying.....

This is true - but I think that you are meant to have some sympathy for them.

Andals sorry

@BoyFromTheBigBadCity

Paper Towns and Looking For Alaska are essentially the same book.

The difference is Margot is more annoying and Alaska is better written

The point was though ( I thought) that he had to learn that everything he thought Margot was he'd projected on to her, and that was an important thing he had to learn

Whoever Margot/Alaska was she clearly did a number on John Green

The main character from The Woman of Rome. I started off having some sympathy for her but then she never changed - she needed everyone to be in love with her which is only really excusable in a very young girl.

Miranda Grey from The Collector. I know the book was written quite a long time ago but her character is such a pacifist, it’s ridiculous.

Oh, and Romeo.
For the love of God, check whether she’s actually dead rather than prancing about with self indulgent speeches and then topping yourself on the off chance

Yes book Diana Bishop is so wet! I liked the tv adaption though.
@captainjackandjill once I hit about five episodes in to Outlander I couldn’t stop watching. I’ve rarely been so obsessed with a show, I absolutely adore it! Admittedly most of my love is for Jamie though!

Bridget Jones. Ugh. Could only get a few chapters in. It made me feel utterly alien to think that she's portrayed as a 'typical woman'.

Cathy and Heathcliffe aren't meant to be lovable. They're human, flawed, and a product of their fucked up circumstance.

Cathy in Flowers in the Attic. As if it’s not tedious enough that every man she encounters falls in love with her to the point of obsession, especially when she seemingly has no redeeming features whatsoever. But that pales into insignificance compared to how much she rates herself.

Emma Woodhouse. How have people found time to dislike other Austen characters WITHOUT MENTIONING HER?! She is the worst. So much the worst. (Also, creepy Knightley situation is creepy. Ew.)

Mary-Lou Trelawny is spectacularly obnoxious. Sincerely hope she was OOAOML because I neither want to read about her double nor - worse still - encounter a RL version.

Totally agree re: Cousin Helen. I understand she can’t help it, she’s a victim of her context. But she still gives me The Rage.

Amy March is a vacuous & amazingly, given her upbringing, entitled, little horror.

The entire Meagles family. But actually, I think that’s rational. How could anyone not be annoyed by them? (Possibly ditto EW at start post...)

Definitely the Gone Girl couple - and James Bond. Pretty much everyone in every Jane Austin book ever. Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane, smug fuckers. Jilly Cooper's heroines - but especially sodding Susan and all the flipping martyred people pleasers who end up with the hero in defiance of all sense! (And breathe ...)

Beatrice Lacey from Wideacre by Philippa Gregory. I usually don't mind anti-heroes, no problem with the dreadful pair in Gone Girl for example, but my God she was annoying. I wanted someone to actually finish her off and all her scheming about the bloody land. It's been a while since I attempted to read it but I'm sure she was another who gazed into mirrors admiring her 'wicked eyes' and 'pointed chin' or whatever cobblers is written for beautiful characters.

There are some immensely irritating characters who are colleagues on a police force in Sophie Hannah's books. I hate them all, which I remember every time I pick one up.

Sam and Frodo and their forbidden love. All the rude dwarves and Gandalf when they come to Bilbo's house and demand cake and ale and so on. 'No' is a complete sentence Bilbo!

Agree about Julian from F5 and his 'determined chin'.

Sick Boy in Irvine Welsh's books. He's such an appalling prick.

Terrible chick lit/YA novel 'heroines'....

Bella Swan. Gave up after book two because I wanted to punch her. Awful, awful character.

Katniss Everdeen grates on me at times, especially in Mockingjay. Mainly for her Gale vs Peeta ramblings. But. She's had a major trauma, so I'll allow it. Loved the books though.

Sophie from the 'Billy and Me' - Giovanna Fletcher books. Especially in the sequel. Oh. My. God. No.

Maurice Bendrix in the End of the Affair. Love the book, but he's auch an obvious cipher for Greene. I keep on wanting to scream, have a wank and get over yourself you creepy overgrown adolescent twat

And Renton is possibly even worse, at least in Skagboys. All the goodwill I had for him disappeared in that prequel.

Oh and everyone in Howard's End too, and Charles Ryder and his foppish teddy owning friend in Brideshead Revisited.

@BartonHallow - all the characters in ‘Sons and Lovers’ especially Paul. Had to read that book for A level lit and hated it.

Fanny Price in Mansfield Park.

I kinda love how unlikeable Katniss is - it’s such a welcome relief to have a young woman main character who is spiky and hasn’t been made endearingly clumsy instead of having a personality.

Isabel Dalhousie in Alexander McCall Smith's books. His novels were all the reading I could cope with when I had a nervous breakdown and I honestly think that part of my recovery was realising that I could never be as loathsomely pretentious and self-absorbed as Isabel Dalhousie.

I adore Anne Shirley ....
Weirdly I was talking about Jane Eyre a couple of days ago ( as you do y'know) and I said what an absolute arse Mr Rochester was and no wonder his first wife kept trying to attack him. I would have too.... wtf did Jane Eyre see in him ??? Or him in her for that matter.
The one person I also can't stand is Declans wife Maud in Jilly Coppers Rivals. Which leads me nicely on to Taggie, Rupert Campbell Blacks wife who is the biggest drip ever....following on to Rupert himself who is an absolute bully, bigot and big head .........aaaand relax

I LOVE Katniss being 'badass' and fighting, hunting, saving Panem etc. I like moody, pissed off at everyone Katniss too.

It's the Gale vs Peeta saga and her struggle to pick that gets a bit much.

Cecile in Bonjour Tristesse. Loathsome French teenager.

@PixieN

I read it by choice and it was my first ever experience of "this is beautifully written but I absolutely hate everyone in it"

Paul first, his mother second though