Why I Enjoy Problematic Characters
And eight books in which they star
When I listen to bookish podcasts or see a literary video on YouTube or TikTok, sometimes I hear readers say they need someone to root for in their books. I've never understood this need because I love reading about messy and complicated people doing awful things. I'm often delighted by a character's terribleness. I mentioned this recently in a book club I'm in, and ever since then, I've been trying to figure out why I feel this way.
That's the purpose of today's post. I'm sharing three reasons why I enjoy reading about problematic characters and listing eight books that feature them. I hope you find at least one title to add to your TBR.
Reading about problematic characters is a change of pace.
I'm an enneagram one who's struggled with perfectionism since I was a fetus. My mother did her hair and makeup before giving birth to me, so I wanted to look good and be on my best behavior when I met her and my dad for the first time. I'm an avid rule follower because I appreciate rules, welcome routines, and consistently strive to do the right thing. Sometimes, I get frustrated when those around me aren't following the rules as I think they should be. (I'm a lot of fun at parties.)
My fondness for the straight and narrow path is one of the reasons I enjoy reading about characters who do not care one tiny bit about doing the right thing. As much as I enjoy routines, now and then, I crave change. While there are many things I won't ever do, it can be fun to read about someone else doing them. Slipping into someone else's mind can be an exercise in empathy, but it can also be a vacation for someone like me who used to ask her mom, "Is I’m being good?" as a toddler. (I was being very good, dear reader, despite my grammar issues.)
Bad behavior in a book doesn’t hurt anyone.
One of the things I value about books is that they give readers a safe space to explore different ideas, beliefs, and actions. Characters can do, say, or think about anything; it doesn't matter because they're fictional. Even when we grow to love a character, and they do something that disappoints us, there are no real-world consequences. We might feel great emotion momentarily, but eventually, that'll fade, and life will return to normal.
Reading about problematic characters partaking in risky behavior can be almost like a case study. We can see what happens when a character chooses this or that and get an up-close view of the consequences. Authors may or may not give their characters believable consequences. Still, either way, readers can witness people doing things we might never do, sure that no one is suffering because of it.
Problematic characters reflect reality.
Even the most ardent rule followers among us make mistakes. I make them all the time. My mistakes might seem small compared to some characters' misdeeds, but they're still bad choices. Problematic characters reflect reality, which I'm always after when I read fiction. I like books that tell me the truth, that point back to the real world and all of its complexities. It's not easy to face my own mistakes, but seeing the mistakes of others reminds me I'm not alone in my humanity.
If any of this resonates with you, I think you’ll enjoy the following books.
Summary: Emma Rosenblum's Bad Summer People is a whip-smart, propulsive debut about infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue, set against an exclusive summer haven on Fire Island. None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other. Until a body is discovered, face down, off the side of the boardwalk.
My thoughts: Thanks to the setting, this book makes for the perfect summer or vacation read. There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but I had fun piecing together how they were all connected and who was responsible for the death. I love atmospheric books and Bad Summer People delivered.
Summary: When beautiful Amy Dunne disappears from her Missouri home, it looks as if her husband Nick is to blame. But though he protests his innocence, it's clear that he's not being entirely truthful. Gone Girl is not only the story of a disappearance, but a truly frightening glimpse of a souring marriage.
My thoughts: Gone Girl is the book that made me love mysteries and thrillers, genres in which many problematic characters appear. Amy and Nick are excellently crafted by Gillian Flynn, a brilliant writer whose work consistently addresses darkness and violence in entertaining and enlightening ways that stick with me. I need a new Flynn novel ASAP.
Summary: A young woman pretends to be someone she isn’t in this stunning novel.
My thoughts: I finished this book last September, and I'm still thinking about it. The protagonist, Alex, has just been kicked out of the house she was staying in with a much older, wealthy man. She's convinced he'll take her back if she gives him some time, so Alex keeps herself busy for a week, using her intuition and skills to con people into giving her what she wants. Alex makes a lot of poor choices, but I couldn't help but root for her. Her desperation seeps through the page, thanks to Emma Cline's sensitivity to her character. (Quinta Brunson of Abbott Elementary wants to adapt The Guest, and I am thrilled.)
Summary: Accepting a position at a small-town public library, a recent graduate student and failed novelist discovers a patron dead in the library bathroom and begins to dig up her co-worker's past as a nurse with a trail of premature deaths.
My thoughts: Children's author Maurice Sendak told a story in which he replied to a little boy's fan letter by sending him a personalized note. The little boy apparently loved the note so much that he ate it. That's how I felt about How Can I Help You; I kind of wanted to eat it. I read the book in about 24 hours because I was obsessed. Who knew murderous librarians were so interesting?
Summary: Becoming dangerously obsessed with his new colleague, a dynamic Pakistani Muslim law professor who ignites his long-dormant passions, tenured English professor Dr. Oliver Harding tries to reconcile his discomfort with the world in which she comes from and quiet his sense of dismay at the encroaching change she represents.
My thoughts: The Laughter is an underappreciated gem of 2023. Dr. Harding is a profoundly flawed yet fascinating character whose thoughts and choices sometimes made me squirm. As I read, I kept thinking, "He said what? He did what?" Fun is probably the wrong word, but this is an inventive, thoughtful book about important issues facing women.
Summary: Follows the relationship between a working French-Moroccan couple and their too-good-to-be-true nanny, whose devotion to their children spirals into a psychologically charged cycle of jealousies, resentments, and violence.
My thoughts: From the beginning of this book, readers know what crime happened and who did it, so only the why is left. I enjoy that structure, and it works well in this French novel. Whether a person is fictional or standing right before me, I want to know why they do what they do. I'm always curious about motive, and that's what The Perfect Nanny explores.
Summary: A deliciously unsettling novel about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the dramatic struggle that ensues when an unexpected visitor interrupts their unusual way of life.
My thoughts: The two eccentric sisters at the heart of this novel, Mary Katherine and Constance, are why I love this book so much. Sure, as the summary suggests, one or both of them may be murderous, but their bond is lovely. I'm trying to be an optimist.
Summary: After the death of her literary rival in a freak accident, author June Hayward steals her just-finished masterpiece, sending it to her agent as her own work, but as emerging evidence threatens her success, she discovers just how far she’ll go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
My thoughts: I had such a good time reading Yellowface. Each time June tries to save herself, she buries herself even deeper into the mess she created. (That's certainly relatable.) This book doesn't just focus on an individual's choices but also satirizes the entire publishing industry for its many problems regarding diversity. I don't always love satire, but I loved every second I spent reading Yellowface.
How about you? Do you like reading about problematic characters? I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you want to engage in non-problematic behavior, click the heart and leave a comment. Thanks for reading!
I quite enjoyed Laura Sims 'How Can I Help You'. When I started reading it I didn't think I would but got into the character and the scenarios easily. It was an entertaining read.
So many great books to choose from!
By the way, You is being good!😂❤️😂