Today’s Top Ten Tuesday, which is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, is your ten most dislikable characters. I thought this would be a breeze, but it’s actually more difficult than favorite characters. I also apologize in advance for some of my language. I’m sure it won’t all be pretty.
1. Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice – When I first saw the topic over at the Broke and the Bookish this morning Caroline Bingley is the first name that popped into my head. I’ll take any reason to flaunt my annoyance with the character. I was actually going to take advantage of this post to go on an anti-Caroline Bingley rant. Instead, I’ll just say she makes my teeth itch.
2. Bill from the Sookie Stackhouse novels – I’ll admit I was way team Bill at the beginning. Then I just started to hate him. Then I found out I had a reason to hate him.
3. Dolores Umbridge and Cornelius Fudge from the Harry Potter series – I’m sure I could have split these two up, I could go on a blogging rampage about how much both of them annoyed me and pissed me off. Denying what is actually happening, preparing for the shitstorm that’s coming? But noooooo, they have to go and be babies about it all and let a small group of 16 year old kids have the balls. Ridiculous, at least on the part of Umbridge and Fudge.
4. Bree from the Sweep series – I read these books over and over again when I was in middle school. I’ve re-read them since. But the one thing that never changes is that I cannot stand Bree. She gets way pissy with her best friend over a guy for crying out loud. I just couldn’t stand her, most of the time.
5. Valeria from The Mountain’s Call – This is a book that I read about a month ago. I couldn’t decide if I liked it or not. I couldn’t decide if I liked the characters or not. Well, I should say I liked Kerrec. But Valeria just straight up bugged me (which you’ll notice when I get my review posted).
6. Aphrodite (and her friends) from the House of Night series – Seeing as I’ve only read the first book, I’m not sure yet if there is any development of Aphrodite’s character. What I can say is that it really bugged me that she was there. She is exactly what I can’t stand about reading teen fiction. She is drama, she is mean, she is ridiculous. Don’t we get enough of that crap in real life? Do we really need it in books too? Sorry about my mini-rant. But yeah, she way bugs me.
7. Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby – I love the book, I love the movie, I can’t stand Daisy. “Oh, hi. So I’m a super bitch who’s led you on for a couple decades. I’m greedy and therefore stuck myself in a lifestyle cause it came with a big house and pretty diamonds. ” That just so happens to be what comes to mind when I think Daisy Buchanan.
8. Pastor Dennis from The Abstinence Teacher – I don’t mind religion, or religion in books. What I do mind is people trying to force their beliefs on others. I felt like while Pastor Dennis generally had good intentions, sometimes he took it too far with the preaching and even judging others for their lack of faith. That equals a dislikable character in my book. (I will take the opportunity to say that the book is still amazing!)
9. Iago from Othello – When I read this for my English class I had lots of reactions to the book. First and formost, I could not stand Iago. He was a greedy, whiny, entitled son-of-a-bitch, and if he worked for me, I woulda fired his ass. Just so you know.
10. Bella from the Twilight Saga – I’m gonna go all cliche on this one. I don’t dislike Bella because she got Edward like most do. I dislike her because it takes her forever to grow a spine. I have a strong dislike for weak female characters, and whether Stephenie Meyer did that on purpose or not, Bella’s not very strong on her own.
So, there’s ten. A runner up would be Victor from the Vampire Academy series. If I could include video game characters it would be that annoying Ashley chick from Resident Evil 4. Just wanted to get that out there.
Are there any characters you can’t stand?
Among Stories 
I agree with soo many of your picks! I am reading Pride and Prejudice right now and cannot stand her!!! I agree with Bella, Daisy, and Vampire Bill. I’m only on the 3rd books and I hate him so I can imagine that it will just get worse!
Yes to Caroline Bingley, she’s so under-handed! And also yes to Iago (though he was kind of a love-to-hate villain because he was so completely vile and manipulative, and you can see the traps he’s placing for Othello the entire time, even though Othello can’t).
Danya
A Tapestry of Words
Yes, Caroline Bingley, what a snobby bitch. It’s funny to see her get continually burned by Mr. Darcy though, which is why I don’t really think of her as hateable. In the end, she doesn’t get any of the things that she wants, and instead has to deal with Lizzy and Jane’s triumph.
Bree! I remember not liking her, either, although it’s been forever since I’ve read Sweep. She redeems herself a bit in the end, though. I like her and Robby.
Aphrodite actually gets much better, she is quite literally the only character in the entire House of Night series who gets any legitimate development over the course of SEVEN BOOKS, although she sort of stops by book four. Still, I’m willing to be that by book three you’ll really like her. Although truthfully, I want to punch the entire cast of House of Night, so…yeah.
*hi5* on Bella, and Bill. I mean, I kind of feel sorry for him now in Dead and Gone and Dead in the Family, but in Club Dead? I wished him a painful, fiery death. Ass.
Jamie – I’ve read all the Sookie Stackhouse books. Without ruining everything for you – I will say that it takes Sookie a few tries to end up with the right guy. As for P & P, I’ve read the book itself and I think 20 something of the sequels. Caroline Bingley never manages to redeem herself, except for maybe in two of them. The mini-series Lost in Austen put a good spin on things for her though.
Danya – I never understood how in Othello everyone was so blinded to Iago’s games. But that’s something else entirely that bugged me.
Thanks for the support with Caroline!
Cyna – I can agree with you on the Caroline front. I suppose you could consider it literary karma watching the insupportable snits or whatever it is she loved to call them win-out.
I remember thinking to myself on the Bree front when I read that 18 years later book when Morgan is in Ireland, well since Bree’s only mentioned once at least she isn’t to difficult to deal with. I kind of feel bad about it though.
From what you said about Aphrodite I hope I like her, but it’s all starting to sound so Vampire Academy to me, and Aphrodite is just the Cast’s version of Mia.
Thanks, this is my verbal return to your internet hi5.
I like that in most of Austen’s books, people get what they deserve, good and bad. Mostly.
Yeah, she says something like she talks to her one the phone…? I don’t really remember, but I was also kinda sad that Morgan wasn’t really in touch with anyone from back then. But that’s part of the reason I don’t care for time-jumps in stories.
Hm, I didn’t make it past the first VA book, so I’m not sure about how that progresses, but it’s a pretty accurate comparison in the beginning.
I’m all about the Austen.
I’m finding lately that teen (any genre) books are just annoying. I’ll probably still read it, because I have masochistic tendencies when it comes to reading. I’m not in high school and all of them are a reminder of the teenage drama/bs that I left behind.
Having said that, I have to admit, that for the most part, the VA books have a spot in my heart. I have a pit in my stomach as I await the arrival of my copy of Last Sacrifice in December – no lie.
Same here. *brofist*
lol yeah, so it seems. Unfortunately our library has very little in the way of adult paranormal anything, so we’re usually stuck with YA. It helps to channel the pain of unmitigated teenage angst in literature into book bitching, though. Anyway, House of Night had potential (and very little angst!), but…they wasted it
And the characters just make it worse by doing stupid things and staying shallow and undeveloped. BUT ANYWAY, lol.
Hm, yeah, my PIC loves those books, too. I couldn’t get into Rose’s character, myself, but I might pick them up again, eventually. Especially since Last Sacrifice is the end, right? TBH I’m more interested in Richelle Mead’s adult stuff, though.
I tried the library thing, but I’m a compulsive book buyer so chances are even if I read a book from the library I’ll end up buying, unless I hate it.
I liked Rose. I know everyone pulls the “OMG, so cliche” with it, but it’s nice to have an ass kicking female in YA books.
I know that Richelle Mead has the Georgina Kincaid books, I have them in my eBook collection but haven’t read them yet. Any suggestions on the Mead front? I know she has a few series.
And I almost forgot, yes, Last Sacrifice is the last installment.
Yeah, I have that problem, but I’m too poor to really support it, so I have to rely on the library instead. Very rarely do I buy books anymore, and it’s almost always at a used book store. But those can be muy awesome.
Actually, I didn’t mind her bad-assedness because sadly that cliche seems relatively rare now that the Bella-type heroine is so popular. What bugged me about Rose was the beer-swilling party girl thing
That’s just not my thing, so that aspect of her personality really annoyed me.
I actually haven’t read any yet, but I liked her style, which is why I wanted to try some. You’ll have to let me know if her Kincaid books are any good when you get around to reading them 🙂
I love what you said about bill…so true. I hated aphrodite too but by the 7th book she is one of my favorite characters. He bitchiness is now hilarious, and she speaks her mind with real cuss words. Bella didn’t really bug me until Breaking Dawn when she is going to leave her daughter with Jake at the end. I finally thought she found something she loved more than Edward. *sigh*
Seriously, if nothing else, appreciate Aphrodite for using real cuss words.
Well, one of these days when I actually manage to crack open another House of Night book I’ll keep an eye out for real foul language as opposed to what I refer to as baby-wants-ta-be-a-grown-up language (which I was totally guilty of in middle school, I’ll admit it).
And when I crack the Kincaid books I’ll definitely let you know what I think. I’m actually kind of interested to see if her adult fiction is much different from her young adult books.
Word on Bill Compton! I liked him in Book 1 but by Book 2 I’d already moved on! He was almost tolerable in the last novel but hasn’t done enough yet to redeem himself for his efforts in previous novels.
Also agree with Iago, Caroline Bingley and Bella Swan. I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted to slap someone so much as I did Bella in New Moon & Breaking Dawn!
Great list!
I’m slowly but still making my rounds to everyone’s post this week. I love your picks! I’m realizing how many I forgot and I’m enjoying seeing everyone’s personality be exposed from creating these dislikable lists! I never realized how much you can tell from a person from the characters they would choose in a list like this. Very thoughtful commentary too!