Rebecca from Du Maurier's classic. She may be dead for the entirety of the book, but she has managed to wreck the lives of everyone, possibly excepting Mrs. Danvers who is villainous in her own right. I dislike her extremely, and am not sorry that Maxim ended her.
Josie Pye from Anne of Green Gables. As an adult, I can understand how her insecurities and parental pampering made her so, but when I was a child, she seemed to be the epitome of casual cruelty rampant in my middle school.
So many good picks from classics! I don't have any specific villain to add, but anytime there is a Nazi or a serial killer in a book, I can feel my jaw set and my teeth begin to clench! Beneath a Scarlet Sky (Nazi), The Stranger Beside Me (Ted Bundy)....I remember really getting angry when I read those!
Nellie Oleson from Little House on the Prairie.... She was awful...
Oh, heck, yeah! She *really* was.
Exactly who I though of first as well!
Rebecca from Du Maurier's classic. She may be dead for the entirety of the book, but she has managed to wreck the lives of everyone, possibly excepting Mrs. Danvers who is villainous in her own right. I dislike her extremely, and am not sorry that Maxim ended her.
I almost picked Mrs. Danvers because she's such an excellent villain! Nice call on Rebecca, too!
I mean, Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter is definitely up there on my love-to-hate-them list.
Yup, that's what I said!
Yes to Dolores Umbridge!
The White Witch in the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Especially played by Tilda Swinton in the movie adaptation!
Tilda Swinton is glorious (even when she's bad ;-)
She is everything!
This is all a treat: https://tomandlorenzo.com/tag/tilda-swinton/
Just enjoyed this immensely- especially her time with Stephen Colbert. I had no idea she was a Chanel queen! It suits her...did you hear her on NPR?
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/11/g-s1-42072/fresh-air-weekend-tilda-swinton-adrien-brody
Oooh, thank you for that!
Josie Pye from Anne of Green Gables. As an adult, I can understand how her insecurities and parental pampering made her so, but when I was a child, she seemed to be the epitome of casual cruelty rampant in my middle school.
All the Pye children are awful 😖
You feel me!
General Woundwort in Watership Down. 🐇🐇🐇
Nice one! Kind of a deep cut. I love it!
Yesss!! One of the greatest villains of all time!
Professor Moriarty - especially as played by Andrew Scott. Brilliant.
Ooh, good one!
But you can't hate him! He's Andrew Scott and he is just the loveliest man. 😄
Cathy, in East of Eden. She's the worst!
As I´m reading Jane Austen right now, I can offer John Willoughby (Sense and Sensibility) and, even worse, George Wickham (Pride and Prejudice).
Both solid choices! Willoughby in the film version is particularly bad, right? That sweet face and that terrible heart.
Yes, indeed! Sweet and joyous and devoted at first, and then black at heart!
I feel sorry for Willoughby. Wickham can go to hell. He can take Miss Steele along.
So many good picks from classics! I don't have any specific villain to add, but anytime there is a Nazi or a serial killer in a book, I can feel my jaw set and my teeth begin to clench! Beneath a Scarlet Sky (Nazi), The Stranger Beside Me (Ted Bundy)....I remember really getting angry when I read those!
Nazis and serial killers — strong agree.
Joseph North in The Frozen River is despicable!
Aside: Isn't 'descpicable' a fun word?!
IT from A Wrinkle In Time. A completely odious, heartless, body less, evil entity.
William Hamliegh from Pillars of the Earth. And Biship Waleran Bigod. And Alfred Builder. Ugh. Now I have to go lie on the floor.
Ahahaha! Best response to villain stress, ever!
Basically everyone who gets in Prior Philips way is in my bad books. 😑
YES!!! Just let him build his church!!!!
In David Copperfield, I gotta go with Steerforth. The. Worst.
No. Uriah Heep. Ugh, the slimiest creature to walk the earth (after Gollum)
Dolores Umbridge!!!!!
Hands down, Dolores Umbridge.