What is Life without Books discussion

I read this wonderful series called "The Harvesting Series by Melanie Karsak" and in this series there were the "Kitsune". They were magical creatures and I thought they may help the other characters in the series but they were bad. The queen of the Kitsune was the one I loved/hated the most.

I recently reread the Poisonwood Bible and the charter I like/dislike the most is the father. Nathan Price

I am ready a new book called" Sleep, Think, Die, by S.P. Oldham and the character I like/dislike in this book is Gasher. He is trying to be helpful, even saves people but he kills zombies with no remorse....almost enjoys it.

Ah Sheryl, Poisonwood Bible is one of my All Time Favorite books. Very different for all the earlier Kingsolver titles. Yea, the dad was a unlikable character, for sure. I tend to favor books with strong Protagonists who are the main character. I adore all of Ian McEwan books. I also love Jim Harrison and Cormac McCarthy - so you know I have some twisted book loves. That's why I wrote a book with a tortured main character who has narcissistic personality disorder (a classified mental illness) which makes the character very unlikable. But how do you hate, and abandon someone who is ill?

I feel like someone has to throw in a Harry Potter character, so of all the eligible horrible options, I'll have to go with Snape...at least for the first six books. The seventh just made him to be one of the best villains because of the overwhelming sense of compassion he gained.

Nico Romero in The Sleeping Serpent is a narcissistic sociopath. But, you want to fix him - he's sad, his mother died, father left. He is a Kundalini yogi master and healer, and he loves to cook and play Spanish guitar

Taelor wrote: "I don't see very many people talking about these books anymore but I really like Maven as the villain from the Red Queen series because of how clever his deceptions have been and how he truly belie..."

Totally!

Ok, I don't love my hatred of this character at all, but one of the most loathesome characters I've come across lately was the husband, Sam, in the Danielle Steel book "Lightning." (Let me preface that this book was just lying around the office; I didn't buy it.) Anyway -- spoiler alert -- the main character's decision at the end made me so mad I literally threw the book across the room and cursed the waste of time I'd spent reading it.

I'm not sure if I love or hate this character so maybe if someone else has read the books that can tell me what they think. Livia Lone in the new series by Barry Eisler. I loved the first two books and can't wait for a the third. She is so complex. I know I don't understand her at all. There are a lot of psychological issues that drive her and I get that. What I don't get is HER awareness of her psyc issues and lack of concern for them. In a lot of ways she has no conscious. I understand why she has these issues but she is so normal in most ways.... As you can tell I'm confused. I liked her more in the second book and hope she develops further as a character.

I have never read Catcher in the Rye, but it's on my to-read list. I have heard that Holden Caulfield is one of the most hated literary protagonists. Do any of you have comments on that? I want to read this book with an open mind, but fear that I will have a hard time doing so.

Wow, Can I just say you guys are amazing, right now I am reading Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix, I absolutely loathe Dolaris Umbridge!!

I really love to hate Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. What I hate even more is Emily Bronte makes you fall in love with him and then turns him into the biggest bast**d ever! In the end he has no redeeming qualities left.

Oh, this is an easy one. My most hated character of all was Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever from the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson. I read this entire trilogy hoping that he would just do something, anything, to prevent the other characters from suffering their horrible fates. I threw that last book in utter disgust and have not read another book by that author in the more than three decades since.

I watched Tess of the D'urbervilles today. I know I'm suppose to hate Alec D'urberville but I don't!

I hate Angel Clare. I think he is so much worse than Alec.

Alec admits he's a bas**rd. At least he's honest.

Angel believes he is so perfect. He's the biggest hypocrite EVER written. He leaves Tess for something he admits he's done himself.

This is why I want to read the book again. I don't understand what Thomas Hardy could possibly have been thinking making ANGEL THE HYPOCRITE the hero.

Patricia wrote: "I really love to hate Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. What I hate even more is Emily Bronte makes you fall in love with him and then turns him into the biggest bast**d ever! In the end he has no..."

YES. I came into this thread just to post this. I think it's hilarious that Wuthering Heights is considered a "romance" when our so-called hero is a punchable lunatic. And that last scene when he's dead and smiling... chills, man.

I've been watching White Oleander. I've also read the book several times.

Ingrid (the mother) has to be one of the worst characters on paper and in film. Watching it this time I found her even more despicable. I know nothing about psychology but she is clearly a psychopath, sociopath, borderline personality or something in that category. She is definitely a narcissist.

Has anyone else read the book (it's much worse than the movie when it comes to Ingrid and poor Astrid) or watched the movie?

It is one of the darkest books/movies I've read/watched. However, it is exceptionally good.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.