There is one fictional character who has raised my ire more than any other--Chloe Steele Williams, one of the heroes (and ultimately one of the martyrs) in the "Left Behind" series. It's been a while since I finished the last book in the series, but all I remember is that Chloe annoyed the daylights out of me. When she bit the dust, it was reason for me to celebrate.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had a fictional character annoy them. Please do share!

Oooh, I'm sure I'll have lots, but right now all I can think of is Susan Silverman, Spenser's main squeeze in Robert B Parker's "Spenser" series. Just cannot stand the woman.

I'm assuming that you are talking about characters that we are actually *supposed* to find sympathetic, rather than deliberately annoying characters?

Off the top of my head - Kay Scarpetta, from the pen of Patricia Cornwall. Self centred, vain, thinks the whole world revolves around her, and worse of all, devoid of a sense of humour. In fact, all the main characters are like that and when I read the last book I found myself wishing that the miserable and demanding Lucy would take them all on a helicopter trip and crash!

Sal, you took the words right out of my mouth. Kay was the first character I thought of when I read this thread title.

Hi, agony...I think you've got it right...Characters we're supposed to feel for, but end up feeling ready to yank them up on a rope.

Now, I've only read one Patricia Cornwell novel, "Hornet's Nest", which was set in my hometown of Charlotte. (At one time, Cornwell worked for The Charlotte Observer.) And it didn't have Kay Scarpetta in it. Is she really that bad?

Here's another: Angel Clare in "Tess of the D'urbervilles" Y'know, on second thought, let's make it everybody in "Tess of the D'urbervilles"....

Lucy is my least favourite of the Pevensey children - how's that for heresy?

From a fantasy point of view, two spring to mind Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson, ok your a leper transported to another world where your reborn senses get the better of you but sheesh why so serious!
And Frodo Baggins, annoying to the core, little whiney do-gooder. And boy does he have to get out of the closet or what?

I despise Angel Clare, but I don't want to steal Agony's answer, so I'll go with another Hardy creation...Sue Bridehead from "Jude the Obscure."

I often get "irriatated" with a book, if something happens that is just 'annoying' I will stop reading, even if I'm near the end, it just gets on my nerves and that's IT lol - one that springs to mind is the "Weather Warden" books, the main character is called Joanne someone or other, and for six or so books it ticked along OK-ish but then there was a "thingy" (I won't post a spoiler just in case) and that was that, series totally ruined for me and I have never bothered again. I suppose it shows how involved I get when I'm reading that I actually feel ire towards a character lol, but there are definitely some characters that, if they were real, I would have an almost uncontrollable urge to slap!
Temperance Brennan (from Kathy Reichs series) gets on my nerves at the end of each and every book when she "wakes up suddenly, realises the police have the wrong person, sets off ALONE without telling anyone to confront the real killer, gets put in a 'traditional' James Bond/ Batman 'dead any minute now' position and then is rescued in the nick of time by whtazisname the police man end book" - it's gotten so one doesn't even need to read the last couple of pages anymore as it happens every.single.time!

I do agree about Tempe Brennan, but I prefer her to the miserable Kay.

cag1970, I'm not sure if the Scarpetta characters got worse over time, or if I just got fed up with them. The books cover a time period of about 15 years, and you'd think in that time the characters would have learned to deal with unrequited passion, being gay, not being loved enough by their mothers, etc, etc, etc. Get over it people!

I gave up on Kay Scarpetta when the books went all "weird" and 3rd person and Benton came back from the dead lol - I just couldn't follow them properly from then on and stopped bothering with them altogether.

Yeah, it was somewhere around the fifth book in the series when I realized that if I actually knew Scarpetta I would actively dislike her. Made it hard to care much about what happened to her.

Do you think that's what the author intended you to feel about her? I suppose it is clever writing to make you dislike a heroine.
Great idea for a thread .

I've been thinking about that, but I don't think so, in this case. I suspect that Cornwell herself is like this, and doesn't notice. I get the same feeling with Sara Paretsky’s VI Warshawski, though she is a more likable character than Scarpetta.

Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch is a bit like that though - he's kind of a jerk, but you understand why he is that way, and although you wouldn't want to actually work with the guy, can still care about him.


Another literary character I find totally unsympathetic and just can't stand to read about is Eeyore.

I've just picked up a Mary Higgins Clark book. They are very formulaic but there's nothing wrong with that sometimes.

However, I do wish that sometimes here heroines weren't so well bred, tasteful etc. They always have exquisite taste in clothes, furnishings etc. Again, they all seem devoid of humour.

I just wish that sometimes they would sweat, or have a runny nose or have to pull something out of the washbin because they've nothing to wear. Something to make them a bit more human and likeable.

I don't like Lisa Scottoline's books although she is a very popular author. Her heroine's are too predictable also and so is her writing style. Each book may have a different story, but after the third one I tried, I think I could have written them and taken her royalty checks off her hands.

Mary DiNunzio - trademark leading character ie *Strong, beautiful, intelligent, and lots of attitude* - yada yada yada. Uuugghh!

Chloe Steele never irritated me too bad... I don't know why. I haven't read those books in awhile though, sooo...

any character from "Twilight" irritates me... they are just very shallow characters, with a lot of stupidity.

Anybody from the Harry Potter books.I just hate Harry Potter

I wasn't sure whether to put this on the "Twilight" threads or to come here, but as this is the first one I thought of, here I am.

OK, I know the books are intended for teenage girls but ye gods, I do hope my two never fall for the claptrap in those books.

Bella - what is the big deal with her. Boring, clumsy, self centred and a total user. She is totally horrible to her human 'friends' and only seems interested in anyone if they can be of use to her.

Edward - A manipulative control freak "oh, Bella, now look what you've made me do because I love you so much". Isn't that what abusive men say when they've just blacked their partner's eyes? His family are pretty grim as well - compassionate Doctor Carlisle who 'saves' people on the point of death by making them vampires. If he's that compassionate, why is it only the beautiful ones he saves?

Alright, I am old and cynical, but I'm part way through the third book (yeah, I know, I don't have to read them) and keep finding myself thinking "oh for heavens sake, if you're going to *date a vampire, what's wrong with Spike from 'Buffy', at least you'd have some fun!

Goodness, that feels better.

* polite word inserted here for FT sensibilities.

I was actually in here to mention someone from the Twilight series, butnot Edward and Bella, they don't bother me at all.

Jacob. It's probably a very selfish dislike, because I don't really dislike anything about him it's just I'd rather be reading about Bella and Edward being happy than him being jealous.

Lioness, I suspect that you are nearer the target reader age than I am.

Perhaps we should move to the 'Twilight' threads, but are Bella and Edward really happy? All they seem to do is to gaze at each other lovingly and argue about if he's going to 'change' her, and if so, when. Given sufficient time, I'm sure Bella at least would come to the realisation it's a combination of lust and hero worship rather than love.

I often reread books. Sometimes I find Scarlett O'Hara really annoying, sometimes Melanie and sometimes I admire them both..weird or what?

I could not stand the lead charecter of Mrs. DeWinter in "Rebecca." Although she is far more annoying in the film, I still wanted to grab her by the throat and scream "Grow a Spine!".

Charly