What ruins a book? I know this is a terribly pessimistic way to start a blog about books, but it’s what I always ask when the conversation turns to reading. Or I’ll be discussing a book with a friend and they will grimace, and I’ll know what’s coming: “It was alright, until…”
I’ve been here before. True to form, they denounce whatever main character is in operation with a few stock phrases; pompous, pretentious, self-centred, arrogant, narcissistic, s/he doesn’t listen, annoying, the single most infuriating being on the face of the planet.
It wasn’t long ago that I was talking to my cousin about the book One Day she was returning to me. She couldn’t get through it, she said. Emma and Dexter were annoying and whiney, she said. Now, I absolutely loved One Day when I read it a few years ago; it was moving, funny, and truthful, featuring two of the whiniest and annoying people ever encountered.
‘Hold on a second,’ you’re thinking; ‘The characters were whiney and annoying…and you still loved the book?’ Precisely what I’m getting at, hypothetical person who just happens to be asking the perfect question for me to continue this blog! There were times in this book when they made me want to rip my hair out from its roots with their inactivity and always-in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time-ness, but in the end, this added to the truthfulness of the novel.
Now, this may come as a shock to you, but there are going to be people you encounter in life who are going to make you want to rip your hair out from its roots. I cannot prevent this, you cannot prevent this. It’s just life, and it’s true. We should not berate authors, or their work, because they attempt to represent some elements of reality within the fiction. They are not in the business of creating likable characters and surrounding you with happiness and rainbows; they are in the business of creating the greatest possible stories to make you think. Sometimes, this requires a horrible, twisted creature of a protagonist.
I’m not saying that you should only read books with said people in the lead and disregard everything else as vapid fluff. What I am saying is that you should give them a chance.
They are readily available in vast amounts, ranging from classics to modern young adult literary fiction. The most famous of these books is possibly Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield, the protagonist is, for me, the single most whiney, arrogant, self-centred character who found everything so depressing. I hated him. I hated the book. Well, at first. Then I thought about it, and what he’d been through, and how he just needed someone to talk to. I realised that, as he was writing in retrospect, he might not be capable of explaining to true complexity of his emotions. As a result, his references to mental health seem disrespectful. Just add water, and you’ve got instant irritant, right? Well, yeah. Holden wasn’t a nice guy, but this character flaw isn’t bad writing; it’s purposefully there because the author wanted it there. It’s part of the story, and it’s as integral to the story as it is to life.
In modern literature we have Paper Towns, a great read about perception and invention by John Green. Quentin, much like Captain Ahab, becomes obsessed with the white whale that is Margot Roth Speigleman. It turns him into a monster, ruining his final months of high school, his friendships, and his graduation, fixated on nothing else. He is saved, of course, by a great white wall of cow. But when is it any different?
By the same author, An Abundance of Katherines centres on child prodigy Colin Singleton. He’s desperate to progress to full adult genius and win back ex girlfriend Katherine 19. With the help of his overweight, Sunni Muslim, Judge Judy fan of a best friend, he learns to accept life as it is, which is actually quite a lot.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower focuses on passive aggressive Charlie and his quest to abandon passivity and live. It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini follows Craig Gilner into a mental hospital. There are loads.
Just remember, next time you pick up a book, douche-bags are characters too. Don’t dismiss them outright; accept their flaws, and revel in the challenges they pose to you as a reader. You never know, maybe it’ll teach you something about tolerance.
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