"I didn't like the book because the characters were unlikeable" - aibu to not understand this criticism?

[BestWatcherInTheUnit]

I read a fair amount of psychological/domestic thrillers, and one of my habits is to look up the reviews on Amazon after I've finished it. Without fail, there will be a fair number of reviews saying that they didn't like the book because the characters are unlikeable. Isn't that par for the course with thrillers? If everyone was super functional and nice then there wouldn't be a plot.

Does it put you off a book if the characters would be unlikeable in real life, even if it's a crime/thriller novel?

I have to feel some sort of empathy to a key character. They can be flawed as anything but if all the characters in a book or film are truly unlikable, I don’t really enjoy it. I can’t find my place as the third spoke in text/writer/reader.

I don't enjoy books where none of the characters are likeable - not in the sense of 'super functional and nice' but I need there to be some characters who are sympathetic enough to care what happens to them. I don't read crime or thrillers though.

I get the feeling that when some reviewers say “unlikeable” they just mean flawed. To me it’s normal for thrillers etc to discuss the darker side of human nature. But I agree it’s annoying when all the characters are without exception total shits.

I didn't enjoy a particular book recently, and afterwards I thought it was because I didn't particularly like or relate to any of the characters. I feel a bit unsure as to why this should matter as much as it seems to though.

I like to be able to relate to or empathise with a character. Otherwise it's not the same experience.

I think I need to find someone likeable. Or maybe so despicable that I still want to know what happens to them.

In a thriller you usually have a tense situation that is being worked through. I don’t mind a character being flawed but if they’re unlikeable I’m just not rooting for them to work it out. I think most characters in books have flaws, it’s how you present those flaws and other things the characters do that make you like them or dislike them.

For me irs not whether I like them as such its whether reading about them is good.

They can be vile if its well written, fine.

Its when you dont like the characters because they are boring, cliched or a pain in the arse its an issue.

I think for me it depends on the book.

Eg I loved the book 'The Slap' which a lot of people hate. I thought the genius of the writing was in the fact that every character was horrible, really horrible, and yet I still wanted to know what would happy to them.

For crime thrillers I think I generally don't like the main character, they usually tend to be quite 'difficult'. But I can still find them sympathetic and it is my nosiness, wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery, that keeps me reading.

A really light read, something chick-lit (I hate that term but I'm using it because everyone knows what it means), I would have to really like the characters to read the book.

I love a good flawed complex character. But I guess I do find it hard to keep going with a book or watch a tv show where I can’t really relate to anyone.

I can recognise and admire the writing in a book where none of the characters are likeable, but I won't enjoy reading it. I won't care what happens to any of them, and so I probably won't finish the book.

On a related note I read and enjoy lots of books that are not especially well written, just because I like the characters or period or location.

wellthatsunusual - same here!

Everyone slated The Slap because all the characters were unlikeable - but that made me love the book (plus it was well written) because you didn't necessarily want one to have a better outcome than another, you just wanted to know how it would turn out for all of them.

I don't like a book where a character that is SUPPOSED to be likeable isn't at all (in my opinion). Like a film or tv character who is supposed to be beautiful/handsome but they're not to your eyes. It jars.

I think mainly people mean that the characters are poorly written. There are plenty of protagonists in literature and TV /film who are not likeable people but are compelling or at least believable.

When I find characters completely unlikable it’s because they are not written like believable human beings.

Characters can be flawed and still likeable. In fact I'd argue that almost all likeable characters are flawed. I think I only like books which have at least some likeable characters in them. By which I mean characters that I find interesting and engaging.

I know it's a tv series not a book, but I could see that The Sopranos wasvery good,but I didn't really enjoy it because I didn't feel invested in any of the characters and didn't care what happened to a single one of them!

I get that sometimes. I abandoned a book about third of the way in last month because I realised I didn't really care what happened to the main character.

A character could be horrible and I could like them as a character because they're believable.

I can't enjoy books with unlikable characters because usually that means there's something irritating about their characterisation.

I have to like at least one of the characters enough to care. Some I’ve read I don’t like the main character so don’t care what happens. You need to feel some connection.

I gave up reading Charlotte Gray after a couple of chapters as I found the character of Charlotte so annoying I wanted to slap her.

So in certain circumstances I can see the point of saying you dislike a book as you dislike the characters.

Awww, I loved Charlotte Gray. She was damaged by her own father coming back from WW1 and being traumatised and unable to be a good father.

I don’t mind flawed characters, but I can’t be doing with books where everyone is horrible - the great gatsby, wuthering heights... I finished them because I had to, but I didn’t actually care what happened to any of them.

I mean, I understand they’re not suppose to be likeable and that is in fact part of the point with those - but I don’t enjoy it, if I hadn’t had to read them I’d never have finished them.

They just annoy me.

I have to admit to giving up on ‘The Slap’ as I just found it generally annoying. What puts me off is implausible behaviour in otherwise realist fiction - characters apparently having personality transplants.

I actually tend to like books with unlikeable characters. But, I don’t enjoy a book if I just don’t care about any of the characters - that doesn’t mean liking them - more they have no depth so I just don’t connect with the story.

Actually the Slap is a perfect example of the latter for me - I didn’t care about any of them. However let’s say The Casual vacancy - which I’ve just re-read - awful characters almost all round but care about what happens to them - even if it’s just wanting them to get their comeuppance.

I need to connect with the character or it's crap. They don't have to be likeable though, there's a fair number of 'bad' main characters in fantasy that I've loved.

Oh man totally agree OP. I hate this type of comment. Everyone is shades of grey and I like complex characters. I think it's shows a very childish out view to want goodies and baddies in your literature. Although I'm not immune to wanting a gentle chick lit now and again. But generally speaking I like characters that are more complex.