And I was kind of stuck in, "Well, yes, but they're entertaining horrible people."

That I can live with. I've started and not finished too many books recently where I was more like "I wouldn't want to spend two minutes around these people in real life, I'm not doing that on the page either."

I'm looking forward to partaking of American Psycho in one form or another, and I understand there's no liking to be had there. I also liked A Clockwork Orange and there's no feeling for Alex until possibly the end.

I could never watch Seinfeld because everyone annoyed me so much. Not that that was a book.

I don't know...in some cases, but not always. Sometimes it's how they tell it.

I could never watch Seinfeld because everyone annoyed me so much. Not that that was a book.

That's why I couldn't watch The Inside. As much as I wanted to get behind a Minear project, I found everyone on that show impossible to like.

I'm trying to think if there are any books that I read willingly in which I disliked the main character, or more than 1 character. I find almost all the characters in Wuthering Heights very unlikeable, but I had to read that for a class.

Most of the characters in Vanity Fair are either loathsome or contemptible (some, of course, are both), but Lordy it's a fun read.

Wuthering Heights was actually the book that got me started thinking about this. I don't like any of the characters, I think several of them are really horrible people, and most of the rest make ridiculously bad decisions for incredibly stupid reasons. But I still like reading it, because they do interesting things.

I think several of them are really horrible people

Nelly Dean, the textbook example of an unreliable narrator. Eeeeeevil.

Hil -- I don't need to like the characters in the sense that I'd want to be their friend, as long as I'm interested in the story. It can be an issue when I think I'm supposed to find characters incredibly likable/admirable, when in fact I want to punch them in the face.

I think that's a bigger issue for me with TV or movies, though. I know there was something recently where I was just like, "I hate these people too much to watch this." I'm not sure if that's because a book has more time to delve, or if it's because it's harder for me to overlook traits I don't like when they're being shown instead of imagined.

I'm looking forward to partaking of American Psycho in one form or another, and I understand there's no liking to be had there.

Nope, not so much. But I think it's a great black comedy novel.