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Whose the most horrible character in any book you've read?

244 replies

FreddoBaggyMac · 31/08/2010 08:28

I've just finished 'The Help' and am very sad about it too [sniff] I miss Aibileen... Anyway I feel the need to make my hatred of Miss Hilly public. I don't think I've ever detested anyone in a book quite so much...

I thought I would create a tribute thread in her honour, listing the most repugnant characters in fictional history. Please help by adding entries to the list!
I nominate MISS HILLY from The Help as the number one entry.

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StayFrosty · 31/08/2010 08:31

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StayFrosty · 31/08/2010 08:37

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tortoiseonthehalfshell · 31/08/2010 08:39

No it's a worthy entrant.

Patrick Bateman from American Psycho is the obvious one, I nominate.

cheaphawaiian · 31/08/2010 08:40

Tom Tulliver in 'The Mill on the Floss'.

I read it recently after trying and failing to get through it about 6 times when I was younger.

Now I realise that I never got very far before because I loathed Tom so much. Twunt.

herjazz · 31/08/2010 08:44

I was going to offer Patrick Bateman too

FreddoBaggyMac · 31/08/2010 09:08

Oh, but Heathcliff was nice when he was younger, he was just misunderstood wasn't he? [Covers head with hands and runs away quickly]

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themildmanneredjanitor · 31/08/2010 09:12

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themildmanneredjanitor · 31/08/2010 09:13

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Avantia · 31/08/2010 09:21

I've just finished HELP too , totally agree about Miss Hilly . A fantastic book , well worth reading.

dodgynoodles · 31/08/2010 09:21

Nurse Ratched in 'One flew over the cuckoos nest' ?

woad · 31/08/2010 09:26

Sergeant Troy in Far From the Madding Crowd was a prize bastard especially when he left a pregnant Fanny at the alter. (Ok, she went to the wrong church but still).

cyb · 31/08/2010 09:28

I'm jus tteading THe Slap and there are several vile male characters in that, wife beaters, racists -charming bunch

gorionine · 31/08/2010 09:30

The Trucnchball in MatildaSmile

I second Heathcliff, he was never nice. Misunderstood probably but not nice.

OnlyWantsOne · 31/08/2010 09:31

The boy out of The Wasp Factory... grose

tortoiseonthehalfshell · 31/08/2010 09:31

Oooh, well, if we're doing Thomas Hardy...Alex St Clare and in fact Angel as a second runner.

snigger · 31/08/2010 09:38

Lydia Wickham never got the bollocking she royally deserved, in my book - irritating little baggage.

woad · 31/08/2010 10:32

tortoise - come to think of it, Bathsheba was a bit of a brat.

drivingmissdaisy · 31/08/2010 10:37

Bryony in Atonemen

drivingmissdaisy · 31/08/2010 10:37

Bryony in Atonement

MrsDanversBites · 31/08/2010 10:38

Has to be my namesake doesn't it? Grin

chocolatefroggie · 31/08/2010 10:41

La grenouille from patrick suskind's Perfume creepy creepy creepy Confused

Agree with snigger as well she needed a good slap Grin

chocolatefroggie · 31/08/2010 10:42

Lydia wickham that is, not snigger, clearly Grin

mamaloco · 31/08/2010 10:45

"La grenouille from patrick suskind's Perfume creepy creepy creepy"
I was going to say that too, great book though Grin

FreddoBaggyMac · 31/08/2010 11:05

Will have to read 'Perfume', I keep hearing that it's good.

Agree about Lydia Wickham, but I would say she was just annoying rather than downright nasty.

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chocolatefroggie · 31/08/2010 11:06

It is a great book, I studied it for english lit at college. He's just not the sort of person you'd want to be stuck in a lift with tho'! Grin