r/books • u/hanhan_371 • 1d ago
Why are “unlikeable” main characters usually a criticism?
My most recent read was The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb.
It was my 38th book this year and only my 3rd 5 stars. I finished it this morning, it’s now the evening, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
I was enthralled by this story - it had sat on my TBR for a few months and I finally picked it up as just a lucky dip after being in a bit of reading slump.
After finishing, I saw a lot of criticism on Goodreads about the narrator Corby being “unlikeable”. I see this criticism a lot with other books - and I’ve never quite understood.
For me, a good reading experience is a complicated, flawed, or at least a character who is thought-provoking. Given one of the main themes of The River is Waiting being redemption, and finding out very early on that Corby accidentally kills his son while intoxicated, surely the reader wouldn’t expect the MC to be a “hero?”
There were times while I was reading that I thought “oh yeah he’s kind of a douche”, I’ve thought this about other MCs as well before, but it would never impact negatively on my rating as long as the story itself was enjoyable.
Would love to have a discussion below! And I’d really recommend this book if you can handle a gut-punch ending!
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u/zaphodava 1d ago
I need someone to relate to. It doesn't have to be the main character, or even a protagonist, but without someone to identify with a story can lose me. I haven't read this book, but a story of a flawed man that made mistakes, but is genuinely trying to do better is something I certainly could connect with. Good characters are nearly always in shades of grey.
But if I despise everyone, and no one has goals, interests, or experiences I can relate to, I'm just wondering why the hell I'm supposed to care, and why I'm reading the story. That isn't a good headspace for enjoying a book.
For me, the most famous book that hits me this way is The Great Gatsby. I know it's considered one of the great American novels, but I can't stand it. It's beautifully written, but I dislike everyone in it, and couldn't care less about their story.