Definitely. Theo Decker the main character in the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. This book was over 700 pages and I almost threw the book across the room several times. I've read Tartt's other books and I love her writing. Theo lies to everyone in this book. You want to slap him and tell him "nobody owes you anything, kid". There's a section where he moves to Las Vegas to live with his father. He meets another teen his age and their stupid highjinks and behavior I wanted to hit both of them. I was so happy when Las Vegas was over. I guess Donna did her job.
Although I loved that book and those character flaws didn't bother me (look at his childhood! He had very few good role models!), I completely understand why it would bother others. It was a bit tiresome by the end....
LOL! I know people who hated this book, but my husband and I listened to it on a road trip and loved it. The voice of Boris was perfection for mischief.
Jean-Guy in the Inspector Gamache series! I love him so much, but in multiple books I just wanted to slap him and tell him to pull his head out of his ass.
I was so angry with the way In the Woods by Tana French ended, I almost threw the book at the wall!! If she wasn't such an amazing writer, I would swear off her books forever. (But of course, I came back.) What was Rob THINKING, letting her go??? Of all the self-destructive things....grumble grumble grumble....
Yikes! You are so right about Elizabeth Gilbert. I know that book was wildly popular but to me it was just kind of icky. White lady with a lot of privilege messing about where she knows nothing and doesn’t belong!
Our podcast will always be free! We're just on our in-between seasons break right now. We've started production on Season 7, and it should start soon(ish). We'll announce it here. You're not missing anything! :-)
It was Annie in Cackle. I wanted to slap her over and over. I don't mind a character who is pretty negative at the start. But when you're 75% of the way into a book and a character is whining about the exact same things and making the exact same mistakes, I want to scream.
Can't think of a book at the moment, but (almost) all of the characters in the first season of White Lotus were unlikeable. That is what I thought of first and it is funny that you asked this question because in my last therapy appointment I said, "If I was a character in a novel, I wouldn't like myself too much - I'd keep thinking I'd want to shake myself and say, 'Get it together already!'" Hahaha!
I'm on Season 3 of White Lotus and while I appreciate the drama and the stakes, I'm starting to get sick of all the unheroically flawed characters too.
Agree. For me Demon was a misguided character that was doing the best he could with what he was given. Which is different from someone who "should" know better.
I think there are a lot of characters from popcorn thrillers - you know the one, the twenty-something ingenue who just makes one bad decision after another. I've actually stopped reading those books because I'm just perpetually annoyed. And now for a Dracula reference in addition to Dave's (because yes, Jonathan is a dolt) but also ALL OF THE MEN. Seriously Mina is worth 10 of each of them.
I just finished "The Missing American," about an older man who gets scammed by a Ghanaian romance hoax. I kept saying: WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!? On the other hand, without his boneheaded decisions, there would be no story. ;)
Sadie, the main female character in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Why did she keep going back to that creepy professor boyfriend. He was just a dirty old man using her.
I recently completed Great Expectations. Great book, but sometimes I just wanted to slap Pip because he was being such a dolt! Fortunately, he seemed to have matured by the end of the book.
Definitely. Theo Decker the main character in the Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. This book was over 700 pages and I almost threw the book across the room several times. I've read Tartt's other books and I love her writing. Theo lies to everyone in this book. You want to slap him and tell him "nobody owes you anything, kid". There's a section where he moves to Las Vegas to live with his father. He meets another teen his age and their stupid highjinks and behavior I wanted to hit both of them. I was so happy when Las Vegas was over. I guess Donna did her job.
100% yes to this. I loved the beginning so much and from Vegas on, I hate-read it 🤷🏻♀️ I wanted to smack Theo so many times!
Although I loved that book and those character flaws didn't bother me (look at his childhood! He had very few good role models!), I completely understand why it would bother others. It was a bit tiresome by the end....
So glad I'm not the only one who hated the Vegas bit!
LOL! I know people who hated this book, but my husband and I listened to it on a road trip and loved it. The voice of Boris was perfection for mischief.
I can't think of any specific characters at the moment, but came here to tell you that image is perfection! I giggled for a good 5 minutes over it. ;)
That’s an amazing photo, isn’t it?
Jean-Guy in the Inspector Gamache series! I love him so much, but in multiple books I just wanted to slap him and tell him to pull his head out of his ass.
I was so angry with the way In the Woods by Tana French ended, I almost threw the book at the wall!! If she wasn't such an amazing writer, I would swear off her books forever. (But of course, I came back.) What was Rob THINKING, letting her go??? Of all the self-destructive things....grumble grumble grumble....
Strong agree! Dave and I read it out loud to each other on a road trip, and we were like, WHAT THE HELL?!?!
Elizabeth Gilbert, what are you doing in Eat Pray Love? Stop interfering in a Balinese community you know nothing about.
My Brilliant Friend series...Lenu, just stay away from Nino!
My Dark Vanessa- Vanessa, the behavior of your teacher is a little creepy.
Yikes! You are so right about Elizabeth Gilbert. I know that book was wildly popular but to me it was just kind of icky. White lady with a lot of privilege messing about where she knows nothing and doesn’t belong!
Agreed! I cringed reading that book and just wanted to shake her and say 'What are you thinking??"
Completely disliked Eat Pray Love. Didn’t finish it because the main character was so incredibly self absorbed.
100% Absolutely. Why did so many people like the book?
Definitely Lenu, Nino is bad news!
??Sorry i f I missed this, but is SSOP's podcast only available to Patreon supporters now? I'm no longer receiving it automatically in Pocketcasts.??
Our podcast will always be free! We're just on our in-between seasons break right now. We've started production on Season 7, and it should start soon(ish). We'll announce it here. You're not missing anything! :-)
Yes, but one was a character in book I think you liked, so I don't want to say! LOL
YOU HAVE TO SAY!!!
FINE BUT YOU CAN'T JUDGE ME!!!! LOL LOL
It was Annie in Cackle. I wanted to slap her over and over. I don't mind a character who is pretty negative at the start. But when you're 75% of the way into a book and a character is whining about the exact same things and making the exact same mistakes, I want to scream.
Or slap them.
Can't think of a book at the moment, but (almost) all of the characters in the first season of White Lotus were unlikeable. That is what I thought of first and it is funny that you asked this question because in my last therapy appointment I said, "If I was a character in a novel, I wouldn't like myself too much - I'd keep thinking I'd want to shake myself and say, 'Get it together already!'" Hahaha!
I'm on Season 3 of White Lotus and while I appreciate the drama and the stakes, I'm starting to get sick of all the unheroically flawed characters too.
💯
I love that I am not the only one who talks about book stuff in therapy!🙈
Demon Copperhead. Can't explain it, not going to try.
I want to defend Demon. He never had anyone who showed the way. The rest of the characters, yes.
Agree. For me Demon was a misguided character that was doing the best he could with what he was given. Which is different from someone who "should" know better.
I think there are a lot of characters from popcorn thrillers - you know the one, the twenty-something ingenue who just makes one bad decision after another. I've actually stopped reading those books because I'm just perpetually annoyed. And now for a Dracula reference in addition to Dave's (because yes, Jonathan is a dolt) but also ALL OF THE MEN. Seriously Mina is worth 10 of each of them.
The main character in The Underground Railroad when she stopped and decided to live in North Carolina. No! Keep moving north I wanted to tell her.
I thought the same thing!
June Hayward, aka Juniper Song in Yellowface. Just about every decision she makes! Definitely wanted to give her a good shake!
YEP! And I felt the book went on for about 75 pages longer than it should have--which was June just making more dumb choices.
I just finished "The Missing American," about an older man who gets scammed by a Ghanaian romance hoax. I kept saying: WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!? On the other hand, without his boneheaded decisions, there would be no story. ;)
Sadie, the main female character in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Why did she keep going back to that creepy professor boyfriend. He was just a dirty old man using her.
This is the first negative thing I've heard about that much-praised book and I'm taking that warning in with me!
Can't think of a book character, but I was SOOOO put out by the ending of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. Haven't read another book by her since!
Oh gosh, me too. I thought the ending was a complete cop out, and I also haven’t read anything else by her.
Elizabeth, glad I wasn’t the only one!
I recently completed Great Expectations. Great book, but sometimes I just wanted to slap Pip because he was being such a dolt! Fortunately, he seemed to have matured by the end of the book.
Maybe that’s a Dickens thing? I wanted to / did yell at David Copperfield MANY times.