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

[FreddoBaggyMac]

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.

Oh because they are both manipulative and periodically quite cruel and mainly because you are supposed to like them and think they are the best thing ever and in fact they are both rather unattractive.

See, I loved The Help, but I found Miss Hilly too one dimentional to really hate her. She was a bit of a clang in an otherwise brilliant book.

Now that stupid glittery vampire. Edward. I really hate him. Creepy and controlling and always one step ahead. Nothing to lose. Calculated. Selfish. Too much like a real life narcicistic, bullying bastard. Makes me shudder. That whole series is a heartbeat away from being a reasonable psychological thriller.

Lola in Charlie and Lola She is slowly ruining that boy's life [oldest child]

chocolatefroggie, did you really do Perfume in English lit? It's a German novel! I agree it is really worth reading and he is vile.

I nominate both the prostitute with icthyosis and the perfume-business bloke in The Crimson Petal and the White. I couldn't finish that book, they were both so awful.

Oh and all the characters in The Quincunx.

Cathy/Kate form East of Eden.

Bill Sikes from Oliver Twist. Nasty piece of work.

The husband in Dolores Claiborne he deserved it.

Alec in Tess of the D'urbervilles. Poor Tess :(

I was never very keen on Holden Caulfield tbh. Haven't read for ages though, so maybe would view differently through grown-up eyes...

Agree about Angel Clare - tosser. Forget about Heathcliff, Cathy was a real cahhhh.

Madame Bovary irritated me too - even though I think we were meant to feel sorry for her.

Oh, and Amber from 'Forever Amber,' she was a right selfish, vain madam.

Also those immature nob head lead characters in books such as 'Man and Boy' by Tony Parsons and 'How to be Good' by Nick Hornby.

Oh no, brockley. Alec was a cad but he was misunderstood. I think his intentions towards Tess were almost honourable, I believe he loved her at least. Don't forget he ended up stabbed to death by his beloved while Angel Clare waltzed off into the sunset Tess's little sister on the day of Tess's execution.

A level English all coming back now. How about Lady MacBeth??

Sir Percival in The Woman In White.

Mrs Norris - Mansfield Park
Nurse Ratched - One Flew...
Miss Minchin (Little Princess) boo hiss
Helena Kingshaw/Edmund Hooper (I'm the King of the Castle)

Have a soft spot though for Mr Collins (P&P) & Iago (Othello)

I don't mind Lady M actually - but Regan and Goneril - ugh, ugh, ugh!

Oh yes, Miss Minchin and Mrs Norris.

Must dig out I'm the King of the Castle again.

Marchpane.

oh yes Marchpane was pure evil

TheBolter- I was going to mention DJ Goodnews

Also Zenia in 'The Robber Bride' by Margaret Atwood

Mrs Danvers?

The horrible lead of 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' in fact Orwell has hundreds of unpleasant characters to choose from

i thought mrs danvers was just misguided. rebecca, though, was vile.

another vote for harold skimpole

Urk from Cold Comfort Farm was a bit disturbing with his water voles.

Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter makes my skin crawl!

Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker in James and the Giant Peach were particularly disturbing.

Just read a book left behind by a house-guest called The Blind Man of Seville by RObert Wilson. The figure of the artist father is unremitingly dreadful - a hateful, hateful man.

There is a difference between horrible and irritating (I defend Lydia and Clare and Henry) - Zenia is plain narsty though. She qualifies.

hey my ears are burning

don't forget The Twits, they were rather unsavoury

actually, that one at the end of A Prayer for Owen Meany was vile - can't remember name - the one who tried to hurt all the little Vietnamese kids??

Can I lower the tone and suggest Rupert Cambell-Black

Yes indeed Snigger. I don't like Urk.