The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

20.7 - I Like Big Books And I Cannot Lie - Dionisia's Task - For Those We Love To Hate
Read a book written from a villain's point of view.

Examples:
The Talented Mr. Ripley
A Clockwork Orange
Darkly Dreaming Dexter

If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.

The Collector by John Fowles is really good. I read it years ago. The first half of the book if from the villain's point of view. Would this count for this task?

ooh. Cool idea and I always meant to read A Clockwork Orange!

Will books about anti-heroes, such as Vanity Fair, work? Or does the third-person narration rule it out, because it is not limited to Becky Sharp?

Would Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister work?

I think most of the books by Lawrence Block would work for this task. His narrators are both the bad guy and the good guy. However, I'm going to try an author I haven't read before, but about whom I've heard good things and go with The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. Thanks! (Lots of crime and sleuthing this summer.)

I just found a listopia list called "Rooting for the Bad Guy". Obviously can't speak to the appropriateness of everything on the list, but it might be an interesting jumping off point for researching this task.

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/69...

I think most of these will work...?

American Psycho
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Fight Club
Grendel
Lolita
Crime and Punishment

Would Perfume: The Story of a Murderer be acceptable? It sounds weird and creepy.

Would Wicked work? It's on that list.

Would something like Othello work? So much of it is based on Iago & his schemes.

Or how about The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella - from the point of view of one of the vampires who is hunting a human.

I'd like to read The Lies of Locke Lamora. Its about a gang of thieves I believe. I've heard its very Ocean's 11-esque. Is that okay?

Beth(MN) wrote: "Would Perfume: The Story of a Murderer be acceptable? It sounds weird and creepy."

That's one on Goodread's "Rooting for the Bad Guy" list, linked above. I'm going to be reading it for another task - the translation one, I think.

Kathy wrote: "The Collector by John Fowles is really good. I read it years ago. The first half of the book if from the villain's point of view. Would this count for this task?"

Thank you! I've been wanting to read this for quite some time. ETA: assuming it gets approved, of course.

Awesome idea for a task. I think I'll read I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of the Story by Glen Duncan. It is written from the devil's perspective.

I also highly recommend:A Simple Plan by Scott B. Smith. The bad guy, who narrates, does not start off that way, but.... It is one of my all-time favorite edge of your seat reads.

Janice wrote: "Awesome idea for a task. I think I'll read I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of the Story by Glen Duncan. It is written from the devil's perspective.

I also highly re..."

I own both of those too! So many choices...

I think it is pretty funny that Bill Clinton's book is on the villian list.

Since I preordered the Bree Tanner book (yes, I'm in my twenties, why do you ask?), if that's approved, I think I'll be reading it for this task. Otherwise, I'd love to reread I, Lucifer.

I'd also like to take a moment and plug Evil Genius, which is funny in the same way Doctor Horrible is (only without the songs); Artemis Fowl, which is cleverly written; and Good Omens, which is probably one of the most amazing books written in the English language. Ever. Seriously.

Would The Winter Rose work? It is in the list above and I have it on my TBR.

Does The Secret History work? It, too, is on the "bad guy" list, but since I've never read it, I'm not sure how bad the bad guy is. :)

Sheila wrote: "I think it is pretty funny that Bill Clinton's book is on the villian list."

That made me laugh too and I wondered if anyone else caught that! :D

I see Villette by Charlotte Bronte is on the list - would this work?

Shannon wrote: "I see Villette by Charlotte Bronte is on the list - would this work?"

Dionisia has the final say, but I shouldn't think so -- it's in the same vein as Jane Eyre, told from the point of view of Lucy, a school teacher, & the "villian" is "an autocratic schoolmaster."

It's a great book! You should try to fit it in somewhere -- It works for part A of 20.3 (published in 1853), I bet this works for 20.8 - B&N classics, and it will work for 25.2, as an answer to where.

So for this task, the story must be told from a first-person perspective?

Kathy wrote: "The Collector by John Fowles is really good. I read it years ago. The first half of the book if from the villain's point of view. Would this count for this task?"

I'll accept it. This sounds interesting!

How about Helpless: A Novel by Barbara Gowdy? Part of the story is told from Ron's (the villian) perspective.

Super!!! Thanks

Liz wrote: "Will books about anti-heroes, such as Vanity Fair, work? Or does the third-person narration rule it out, because it is not limited to Becky Sharp?"

I had considered including anti-heroes in this task so I will take it on a case by case basis. The line between villain and anti-hero is not so clear cut. It's all so subjective.

Sorry that's a no for Vanity Fair. The book needs to be told from their point of view, not just about them.

Liz wrote: "I think most of these will work...?

American Psycho
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Fight Club
Grende..."</i>

Yes to everything except [book:Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream.

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Yes
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Yes
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Yes
Othello - No
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Yes
The Winter Rose - No
The Secret History - No
Villette - No
Helpless: A Novel - No

El wrote: "So for this task, the story must be told from a first-person perspective?"

Yes, I want you to get inside their head. The story should be told through the "bad guy"'s eyes. I don't want books that simply feature awesome villainous characters.

Game of Thrones was on that list. Kinda surprised. The author is extremely hard on his heroes.

Jayme wrote: "Game of Thrones was on that list. Kinda surprised. The author is extremely hard on his heroes."

Not sure if you planned on reading it but this book would not fit the task.

I already read it. I love the series :)

How about the rest of the Wicked Series? Son of a Witch

Erin wrote: "How about the rest of the Wicked Series? Son of a Witch"

Sorry, no.

Does Good Omens work for this task?

Does The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella work?

Petra wrote: "Does Good Omens work for this task?"

It's from multiple points of view, so I don't think it will...I regret mentioning it x_x

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake?

This page has a list of books with villain protagonists, but subjectivity and wikis are a bad combination.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php...

Some quick responses:

Good Omens - No. You're right, it's not what I'm looking for but I hope you can fit it somewhere else in the challenge.
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella - Yes
Titus Groan - No. Thanks for the link! I like the way they explain it.

Dionisia wrote: "Some quick responses:

Good Omens - No. You're right, it's not what I'm looking for but I hope you can fit it somewhere else in the challenge.
[book:The Short Second Life of Bree Tann..."

Wow Dionisia, you're really on top of it. Thanks for the quick response!

Would these work? Prodigal Son
City of Night
Dead and Alive
by Dean Koontz

Sci-fi fans might want to check out The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story for this task. The whole point of the novel is that typical villain/victim roles get turned on their heads, but the story does mainly follow the most unsavory character (and gets in his head). I think this fits what Dionisia is looking for.

Does Mirror Mirror work? I know I have it on my shelf at home.

Beth wrote: "Would these work? Prodigal Son
City of Night
Dead and Alive
by Dean Koontz"

Sorry this series does not fit my task. Although you could use them in Donna Jo's Task (25.9) since they were written within the last 5 years.

Hannah wrote: "Sci-fi fans might want to check out The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story for this task. The whole point of the novel is that typical villain/victim roles get turned on their heads, ..."

I'm going to say no to this one.

Kim D wrote: "Does Mirror Mirror work? I know I have it on my shelf at home."

This works!

What about the Master of Rome Series?
They're by Colleen McCullough.

Sorry about bothering you again.

Laura wrote: "What about the Master of Rome Series?
They're by Colleen McCullough.

Sorry about bothering you again."

No problem! This series won't work either. If you still want to read something related to the Julio-Claudian dynasty, I would accept a first-person POV from a more notorious leader like Caligula.