The 50 Most Hated Characters in Literary History

You read the books, but not all characters are likable (just like real life). This list will no doubt spark discussion both for who it includes and for who it omits. I won't tell you who is number one, but you know Scarlet O'Hara is on this list. Melanie made it, too.
4.) Scarlett O’Hara

Gone With the Wind

Author: Margaret Mitchell

For every fan who finds Scarlett O’Hara romantic and admirable, there is another who thinks her a selfish, altogether loathsome figure with few redeeming qualities.

48.) Melanie Hamilton Wilkes

Gone With the Wind

Author: Margaret Mitchell

Along with chief romantic rival Scarlett O’Hara, Melanie Hamilton Wilkes garners quite a bit of hatred as well. Many readers think of her as far too perfect to be relatable, insufferable at worst and boring at best.

Which literary characters do you really dislike? http://librarysciencedegree.org/the-50-most-hated-characters-in-literary-history/ -via Interesting Pile

What a great list! Of course, I have to object to Heathcliff and Catherine's inclusion...oh, so wrong and beautiful and horrifyingly meanbadawful. A lot of these characters are loved or hated pretty passionately, which has to make them worth reading, right?
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I've only read a few chapters from Wuthering Heights, but from what I understand, this book us about anything but true love. And I can already see that Heathcliff is a complete jerk. How he can be viewed as "romantic" is beyond me.

But number 1 shouldn't be a surprise. Hate those Mary Sue's with a heart myself.
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One of my most hated characters is Warden Norton in The Shawshank Redemption. A truly mean and nasty guy, he made sure that another prisoner would not give evidence that could exonerate Andy Dufresne. He is made even worse in the movie.

http://baconglory.blogspot.com
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Can I add the author of that list to the list? Those are pretty much all the books that English Lit majors like to trot out and refer to when they're trying to impress people with their knowledge.
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I'd have to nominate Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky from Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Like many of the romantic characters on the list, these two get pretty insufferable at times.
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I'm glad someone finally mentioned Anna Karenina. I tossed the book finally because I couldn't stand her character.

Of more recent books- JK Rowlings' Professor Umbridge is another that is completely detestable.
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Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King is pretty loathsome. Looking back, most people (myself included) love to hate her and consider her a great villain, but I remember while I was actually reading the book, I really did hate her pretty intensely.
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