So what makes you care about the characters . . .

[expatinscotland]

Following on from the Time Traveller's Wife thread, and the Autumn(book)watch one, what makes you care about the characters in whatever book you're reading?

For example, I'm reading 'Cold Mountain', and the characters, I don't know, the writer just has a way of making you care about them.

Although I'm not really sure how he does that.

Other times, though, I just find some characters totally unsympathetic and consequently hate the book or don't finish it.

What does it for you?

It's hard to say, really - I think it depends on the author as much as the character.

Some books I've just given up on, becuase I've thought "oh I just don't give a shit"!

I've had some characters on whom I have wished a truly horrific death for the crime of boring me to tears.

Most 'chick lit' heroines I find worthy of medieval death penalties.

if I agree with them about everything

otherwise they're just stupid

did you ever see my 'I Don't Know How She Does It' thread?

god that woman was a cow

I agree, Capp, she was a cow.

I don't know, for example I really care about the characters in the Adriana Trigiani 'Big Stone Gap' series, and in the Tales of the City books, but some books (for example) the main character in Saturday I just felt 'so what?'. But then again I really 'got' the characters in Atonement, so maybe it is character and their circumstances rather than author?

I haven't answered at all have I??

Yet, we can also like characters whom we totally cannot identify with.

How the hell does that happen?

I loved the way in which I felt huge empathy for Helen as the deceived/jealous partner at the start of The Night Watch, until travelling back in time revealed the heartbreak she had previously inflicted on another character. Then you went back still further to see how Helen and her first partner met and it was all heartrending.
Agree with dino - it's down to authorial skill. I am a non-lesbian non-driver and I loved Kay, Mickey and Bink
Expat, the mighty Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair is the epitome of the sympathetic but loathesome character for me

I would think, although I don't really know, that you'd have to really, really, in some skewed but honest way, love your character in order to make others get into them.

Inman in 'Cold Mountain' for example, has a sweetness about him that's loveable.

Jonathan Coe loves some of his characters deeply (the male protagonist in The House of Sleep eg) and you're right Expat, it makes the willing reader love them too

For me it's the quality of the writing that draws me in - I may not like (in the sense of personally liking rather than seeing how they fit into the story) or identify with the characters but if a book is well written then I care about what happens to them so I carry on reading to find out.

I have a very eclectic taste in books. I don't tend to analyse them though, I just get carried away by the story and enjoy the ride.

The really clever thing is when you find yourself hating a character, but still caring what happens to them.

(Orlando racks brains to try to think of example...)

Stevens in Remains of the Day?

Actually I think what makes you really care is if the author makes them plausible and gives them enough depth to make you understand their motivation. There's nothing worse than reading a book and thinking 'why?'....

Are we all, in essence, saying the same thing?

I think even when you hate your character, you have to love him on some level. How could you not? It's your own child, in a way.

expat, do you think you may have hit on a best selling new genre - gruesome mediaeval fantasy with chopped up chicklit heroines?

I'd read that

Secrets of a Chopaholic

GENIUS

Simply De-vein My Head on a Plate Amanda's Shredding Bad Hair Shirt Day

You can tell I'm a big chit lit fan

Instead of the dashing Scotsman, we can cast him in the role of the toothless hangman.

close mumsnet.

open word.

type CHAPTER ONE

then keep going