Worst Protagonists (Lead Character) in Novels

ajfrench
ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
edited October 5 in Chit-Chat
For those of you who read a ton, who is the worst protagonist and from which book is she/he? I'd have to say Bella Swan...God, what a simpering, useless character.
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Replies

  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
    For those of you who read a ton, who is the worst protagonist and from which book is she/he? I'd have to say Bella Swan...God, what a simpering, useless character.

    Yep.
  • Helenatrandom
    Helenatrandom Posts: 1,166 Member
    For those of you who read a ton, who is the worst protagonist and from which book is she/he? I'd have to say Bella Swan...God, what a simpering, useless character.

    Yep.

    I could have told her having a baby with a vampire was a bad idea. But she never asked, and I wasn't paying attention.....
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
    She is not as bad in the book as in the movie but yeah your right. Edward makes me sick too.
  • noexcuses1218
    noexcuses1218 Posts: 332 Member
    *deleted because i don't really want to be hateful today - suffice to say i agree*
  • LadyGhostDuchess
    LadyGhostDuchess Posts: 894 Member
    LMAO!!!!
    I have never read the books and reading this makes me laugh so hard. From what I have seen and heard I am turned off by the series.
  • cNhobbes
    cNhobbes Posts: 235 Member
    when i first saw the title of this thread i was like OMG BELLA! don't get me wrong, i love the books, and i think the story is great. but she needs to grow a backbone and not be so helpless. i found myself irritated throughout most of the first 2 books thinking she was a horrible role model for young girls.
  • allofourdreams
    allofourdreams Posts: 107 Member
    For those of you who read a ton, who is the worst protagonist and from which book is she/he? I'd have to say Bella Swan...God, what a simpering, useless character.

    agreed. Edward and her are the most annoying couple ever.
  • demonid
    demonid Posts: 38 Member
    I'll say Emma, from . . . . . Emma. I'm reading it right now, and I just want to smack the little twit.
  • thecrossfitter
    thecrossfitter Posts: 424 Member
    Oh my god. I saw this topic and immediately went to reply "Bella Swan". This made my day. (For the record, I only read it because as a middle school teacher I make sure I'm reading the popular stuff going around.) Ugh.
  • ajfrench
    ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
    I'm glad you all agree! And to you that said she's a bad role model for young women - amen to that. I coach girls ages 9-18 and I'd rather hear about Katniss (from the Hunger Games) -- who KILLS people -- rather than lifeless Bella.
  • MelissaRaeTerry
    MelissaRaeTerry Posts: 377 Member
    Oh gahd yes! Bella is so so sooo annoying, but I also find Edward annoying....
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    I agree that Bella Swan is a terrible protagonist. I hate those books in general for young girls. Here's this moody, brooding, whiny, depressed girl who mopes around and somehow has guys falling at her feet (yeah right). And her ultimate choice in boyfriends is between a creep who is mean to her, pushes her away, and then turns to stalking her and doesn't trust her to make her own decisions, OR a bully who gets in fights and pushes her around and demands that she do what he wants her to do. She ultimately yearns to completely change who she is (by becoming DEAD) and throw away all her family and friends to be with the creepy stalker. Yeah, awesome character-building there.
  • cNhobbes
    cNhobbes Posts: 235 Member
    oh and Oscar Wao from "The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao." I didn't even finish the book. 3/4 through it i was like "oh good lord just off yourself already" (oscar is unfortunately suicidal) and stopped reading.
  • LadyGhostDuchess
    LadyGhostDuchess Posts: 894 Member
    Lydia Ivanova from The Russian Concubine.
    The title of the book is totally miss leading and the main character just does not suck you in! But it has been about three years since I started to read the book - who knows, maybe my opinion has changed on it...but still.
  • jenbit
    jenbit Posts: 4,252 Member
    :grumble: BELLA- OMG I hate that whinning simpering little twit. She is not a roll model and teaching young girls that when your boyfriend leaves you you should do more and more dangerous things just to get his attention is one of the worst things ever. I almost killed my ex-husbands girlfriend when I found out she left my 7 yr old duaghter watch the first movie grrrrrr. :mad:

    I dont know if anybody else reads this series but I also cant stand Faile and Perrin from wheel of time. Love the series but something about them together makes me want to hit things.
  • PeaceLuvVeggies
    PeaceLuvVeggies Posts: 375 Member
    How did I know this topic was started to say how "awful" Bella Swan is >_<
  • demonid
    demonid Posts: 38 Member
    Another really twisted character is Lui from Snakes and Earrings. She's so self destructive, it's painful....but an interesting read.
  • ajfrench
    ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
    How about Humbert Humbert, the creepy pedophile in "Lolita."
  • SeanIsMyHomeboy
    SeanIsMyHomeboy Posts: 107 Member
    I read this quote a few days ago during an argument regarding Twilight Vs Harry Potter Series. Sometimes this quote is contributed to Stephen King. Some say its not. Either way, whoever said this was very accurate.

    "Harry Potter is all about confronting fears, finding inner strength and doing what is right in the face of adversity… Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.”

    Owned.
  • MelissaRaeTerry
    MelissaRaeTerry Posts: 377 Member
    I agree, reading the first two books Bella was helpless and "couldn't: survive without edward! I love strong female characters and good role models!
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
    For those of you who read a ton, who is the worst protagonist and from which book is she/he? I'd have to say Bella Swan...God, what a simpering, useless character.

    you stole the words right out of my mouth. i'd say BELLA EFFING SWAN in the book except the movie version totally stole the book's thunder in terms of awfulness. kristen stewart, QUIT YOUR DAY JOB. other than that, all is well :)
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    I'll say Emma, from . . . . . Emma. I'm reading it right now, and I just want to smack the little twit.

    this honestly surprises me. while it's true, she's no Lizzy Bennett, i found her delightful. she's an airhead, but she owns it.
  • thecrossfitter
    thecrossfitter Posts: 424 Member
    Okay, okay. Bella bashing aside, who else sucks? Holden Caulfield bugs me, but I'm pulling that from memory (been a long time since last read)

    First my favorites: Gilly (The great gilly hopkins), Dewey (green glass sea) Joey Pigza (Joey pigza swallowed the key)

    Clearly I've taught 5th (and 8th for that matter) grade language arts.

    OH MY GOSH. I have it. I HATE the protagonist of Go Ask Alice. HATE. (C'mon Beatrix Sparks... You've anonymously published like 7 books of these supposed diaries. Stupid cautionary tales... I also take this as a total jab at fiction - to me it says that for anything to be meaningful it must be true).
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    Angel in "Unleashing Angel" - gay lit that the cover made sound good. it was TERRIBLE and i wanted to punch Angel in his throat.
  • Iamfit4life
    Iamfit4life Posts: 3,095 Member
    Fudge
  • Howbouto
    Howbouto Posts: 2,121 Member
    LOL, I have to laugh at all the Bella bashing. All my friends (mind you in their 30s) loved the Twilight series. I forced my way through the first 2 books and quit in the middle of the 3rd. I couldn't handle it any longer.
  • SeanIsMyHomeboy
    SeanIsMyHomeboy Posts: 107 Member
    Okay, okay. Bella bashing aside, who else sucks? Holden Caulfield bugs me, but I'm pulling that from memory (been a long time since last read)

    First my favorites: Gilly (The great gilly hopkins), Dewey (green glass sea) Joey Pigza (Joey pigza swallowed the key)

    Clearly I've taught 5th (and 8th for that matter) grade language arts.

    OH MY GOSH. I have it. I HATE the protagonist of Go Ask Alice. HATE. (C'mon Beatrix Sparks... You've anonymously published like 7 books of these supposed diaries. Stupid cautionary tales... I also take this as a total jab at fiction - to me it says that for anything to be meaningful it must be true).


    I can summarize Holden Caufield in The Catcher In The Rye:

    I cant stand phonies so I sat in this park and smoked a bunch of cigarettes because everyone are phonies.

    The End.
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
    Catherine and Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights. Just.... Everything about them.
  • ajfrench
    ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
    Catherine and Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights. Just.... Everything about them.

    Good call!!
  • beatleschic87
    beatleschic87 Posts: 260 Member
    BELLA = AWFUL

    But I never really liked Holden Caulfield either. He pissed me off as a kid.
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