The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Right! I've been seeing all this Holden Caulfield hating all around this group and it gave me an idea. Which characters do you find so annoying or have traits you so don't like you would like to give them a couple of slaps?

I'll start!

The Catcher in the Rye is one of my favourite books. But I dibs on Holden. What an obnoxious little creature!

Then, there's Catherine and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. (view spoiler)[The two of them need to grow a pair already and get on with it. (hide spoiler)]

And finally, Anna from Anna Karenina. (view spoiler)[Girl got it all and she can't even see it! (hide spoiler)]

The first one that comes to my mind is the second wife in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I liked the book but after the wedding I couldn't stand the second Mrs. de Winter and I would have slaped her for her submissive behavior.

Lestat from interview with the vampire. Obnoxious snob

Sonya wrote: "Lestat from interview with the vampire. Obnoxious snob"

God, yes. I rarely ever call characters Mary Sues, but good lord was he a Mary Sue. His whole characterization was also the first element of the series to fall apart.

Ignatius Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces. You cannot get any more obnoxious than that fellow!!!

1) Yes, Ignatius Reilly
2) Holden Caufield
3) Emma Bovary
4) All the characters from Fifty Shades and Twilight, if it's even possible to slap anything so insubstantial.

Renee wrote: "1) Yes, Ignatius Reilly
2) Holden Caufield
3) Emma Bovary
4) All the characters from Fifty Shades and Twilight, if it's even possible to slap anything so insubstantial."

Camille wrote: "Right! I've been seeing all this Holden Caulfield hating all around this group and it gave me an idea. Which characters do you find so annoying or have traits you so don't like you would like to gi..."

Agree with you both.

Btw, what's a Mary Sue?

Renee, from Wikipedia:

"Mary Sue" today has changed from its original meaning and now carries a generalized, although not universal, connotation of wish-fulfillment and is commonly associated with self-insertion. True self-insertion is a literal and generally undisguised representation of the author; most characters described as "Mary Sues" are not, though they are often called "proxies" for the author. The negative connotation comes from this "wish-fulfillment" implication: the "Mary Sue" is judged as a poorly developed character, too perfect and lacking in realism to be interesting.

and Further variant names have been suggested based on the specific personality of a Mary Sue, such as Einstein Sue (a highly intelligent character), Jerk Sue (a short-tempered character who lashes out), or Sympathetic Sue (an angsty character who wants the reader's sympathy). (Not that Lestat is necessarily any of these Sues, I just include it to show that Mary Sues aren't necessarily Pollyannas -- they can have a vague semblance of character traits.)

Lestat is a Mary Sue because he is a proxy for Anne Rice, who has often said she identifies with him and is her most beloved character. Rice has created a series of rules for her vampires (they can't go out in the sun, they're killed by fire, etc.), yet Lestat can do all these things without a risk to himself. He has even gone back in time to drink from Jesus as he carried the cross.

There's basically nothing Lestat can't or won't do -- which angers other characters as they have to put up with his antics. And yet, they can't get rid of him the way they get rid of basically any other character . . . Anne Rice does allow for the characters to get pissed off at him, but Lestat is basically unkillable because Anne Rice will not let the character die.

Great answer. I had no idea. The only a Rice I've read was Interview With A Vampire. I'm going to check out that article. I'm curious now about why the name Mary Sue has that connotation.

Haha! I LOVE you guys! <3
Mary Sue is my new favorite reference! I can't wait to use it. ;-)

August from Water for Elephants, man that guy deserved whar he got. what a coldhearted bastard.

I haven't read the book, but I have seen the film. It's not a slap he deserves, it's a couple of punches in the face, like... I'm scared of reading the book because of the violent heartbreaking scenes!

Even if Manon isn't exactly a paragon of virtue, I would add Chevalier des Grieux from Manon Lescaut to the list, what a spineless wimp!

Joffrey Baratheon. He needs a slap. With a building.

Andrew wrote: "Joffrey Baratheon. He needs a slap. With a building."
Hear hear!

I think he had some good slapping adventures already, had he not ?

I want to give a good slap to Fitz in the Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, soooooooo many things are going right under his nose !

Camille from Sharp Objects. I get that she had a messed up childhood, but she's an adult now. Grow the hell up! Such a shame because her coping mechanism (possible spoiler) (view spoiler)[(w/ the razor blades) (hide spoiler)] was a really intriguing set up to her character, but then she turned out just to be an infuriatingly whiny pushover. Ugh.

Petyr baelish aka Littlefinger from 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is so slimy I wish I could step on him like a bug, he gives me the creeps.

Also why does Clary Fray from the 'The Mortal Instruments' never think about her actions before she does them!

Percy Wetmore from the Green Mile needs a Gibbs smack for all the crap he did in that book.

I have two more, Amy and Nick from Gone Girl. Enough said!

Hahahahaha!

Lol, I guess that tells us how you felt about the ending of Gone Girl, Melissa!!!

Van Houten from The Fault in Our Stars.

Haha! Def!

I completly agree with Holden Caulfield, Bella and Edward.
I would add Sydney from the Bloodlines series, wich is sad because she started out so strong and independent until the last three books, then she just became a raging Mary Sue, with all her backbone thrown out the window. The Ruby Circle was the worst, and thankfully last. I was just so angry at it, like qho would throw away all thier dreams for that?!

And Adrian from the same series and Vampire Academy. In VA he was the tragic hero, but yet he did not even try to change or cope in a different way and then in Bloodlines he just gained all these new powers/traits for no reason in the last book yet again...

I just read A Room with a View. I wanted to slap Lucy Honeychurch and her mother. Lucy was engaged to Cecil, but fell in love with George. She was so confused and in such a muddle, you wanted to slap her and say make up your mind. Her mother was so concerned about her high society and lower class people moving into their neighborhood.

I am reading A Storm of Swords and would absolutely love to slap Cersei.

And also Little finger as Sarah above mentioned. Yes he is so slimy and makes my skin crawl.

Renee wrote: "1) Yes, Ignatius Reilly
2) Holden Caufield
3) Emma Bovary
4) All the characters from Fifty Shades and Twilight, if it's even possible to slap anything so insubstantial."

Emma Bovary hands down! I should have loved that book but I just could not connect with her.

Renee wrote: "1) Yes, Ignatius Reilly
2) Holden Caufield
3) Emma Bovary
4) All the characters from Fifty Shades and Twilight, if it's even possible to slap anything so insubstantial."

Re #4 - Yes, yes, YES!

My big irritation is Bathsheba Everdene........