DO YOU HAVE TO LIKE THE CHARACTERS?

I recently read well listened (audio book) to a book that left me very unsettled. It wasn't the plot, because even though it was about things I really didn't know about, it wasn't too far from the familiar. It wasn't the narrator---even though it was a very Scottish voice. It was a Scottish author, and of course the book was set in Scotland, so that all made sense. I admit it did take me a little while to get my 'ear' in to the story with the subtle accent, but that was easily done.

No what really troubled me was the main character.

I didn't like her at all.

I tried and tried to like her. And just when she was about to do something I deemed kind or caring or even halfway decent, she'd stuff up. Again.

In fact I even googled reviews afterwards to see if anyone else felt the same way - very few did, most people LOVED the book. They raved over the 'so humanly and relatable character' and talked about the dark psychological truth.  Hmmm.

I found the dark humour very good, and the dialogue was so zany and fast paced. But...

So I'm interested now, do you have to like the main character in the book you are reading?

For me, there has to be something relatable. Some glimmer of hope or perhaps, if there can be none, a hint of why there can be none. Make me understand why the character is the way they are. Why there can be no change.

For me, this character simply went from one catastrophe of her making to another. Hurting everyone on the way as she went. And I couldn't understand what motivated her. What made her the way she was. Why was she continually acting this way?

I know a lot of people who read Hawkin's Girl on the Train, didn't like any of the characters in it. And they were a tough group to like, but there was the plot, the mystery. What had happened etc to keep me interested enough.

In the book I read / listened to, (for me) there was no real plot. It was disaster after disaster and the ending was so abrupt with no solving the HUGE problem she had just created. The book simply stopped. There was no glimmer of hope. Perhaps that was the whole message, this would be yet another disaster and nothing would help.

Also I didn't believe the character grew in any way. She learnt nothing (hence the latest catastrophe) and had not changed in any degree.

So...do you have to like the main character?

I must admit though that the fact I wanted to shake this character at times, meant I was invested in the story. Perhaps that's the answer to my question.

What do you think?

Vicki