Tuesday 29 January 2013

Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters Ever

This week the subject for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is the most frustrating characters ever.  Get ready for exclamation marks galore.


1 + 2.  Ferney and Julia from James Long's Ferney

 
For me, the whole of James Long's Ferney was frustrating.  I didn't fall in love with the characters, I actively despised the selfish pair.  Horrible.
 
3. Charley Davidson from Darynda Jones' First Grave on the Right 


 Everyone else seems to love Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series about a female grim reaper.  I can't get past a whiny narrator who is obsessed by a man that constantly treats her like dirt.  It's such a shame as the series has potential for greatness.

4.   Laura Caxton from David Wellington's 13 Bullets


Again I want to like this ultra violent series, but protagonist Laura Caxton is just whiny as hell.  Not to mention completely bull headed and hasn't learnt a thing from her horrific experiences.

5.  Michael Beard from Ian McEwan's Solar


I would have put all of Ian McEwan's characters on here, as they are all frustrating in a good way, but I manged to whittle it down to two.  I found Michael Beard obnoxious and self-obsessed.  While reading I was wishing that he could see himself from his wife/girlfriend's perspective and realise what a idiot he was.
 
6.  Serena Froome from Ian McEwan's Sweet Tooth

 
Again, like Michael Beard, Serena Froome is self involved.  The difference with Serena is that she is also naive and seemed to only be making decisions based on what the men in her life were telling her to do. 

7.  Sookie Stackhouse from Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mystery Series


This applies from book 8 onwards.  I think.  What happened to my Sookie from Dead until Dark? 

8.  Daniel from Erick Setiawan's Of Bees and Mist


Believe the person you love and don't be manipulated by your psychotic mother!  And while you're at it:  grow a pair!

9.  Hope Morrison from Ken Macleod's Intrusion


I never understood why she didn't want to take the pill.  Was it just because she could say no?
 
10.  Lord Maccon in Gail Carriger's Blameless


This one is a little different, as Lord Maccon's actions are totally in character, but it's still frustrating that he's too hot headed to see the obvious!


What characters do you find frustrating?  And have they angered you enough that you've put the book down, never to be read again?

8 comments:

  1. While I haven't read the two McEwan books you point out, his characters are definitely frustrating. The last one of his books I read was On Chesil Beach and all I wanted was for the two characters to COMMUNICATE their desires to one another instead of being all awkward and dancing around the issue of sex. Definitely frustrating!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and commentng. I haven't read that one yet, but is nice to know that McEwan doesn't stray too far from what he normally writes!

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  2. I thought I was the only one to pick Lord Maccon! Love him so much, but man, is he stubborn and pig-headed. Sookie made my top 10 too. Nice list!

    Lisa
    My TTT

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    1. Ha! Great minds! Totally agree, but at least Carriger kept his actions in character (and everyone else's) throughout the series.

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  3. I haven't read any of these and now because of your list I don't think I will. :)

    Thanks for sharing.

    Here's mine

    ~Danica Page@Taking it One Page at a Time

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    1. Thanks...I think! :) There are some exceptions, the Ian McEwan books and Blameless are frustrating in a good way. The others...in more of a "Emma angry...Emma Smash" kind of way.

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  4. Oooooh!!! Lord Maccon in Blameless! GENIUS! SO TRUE!!!

    I'm with you on the whole Sookie issue! They just needed to stop the series!

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    1. It's a shame because I think there was a time when I would have been geniunely upset about Sookie's adventures ending. Now I'm all...meh...

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