Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Unlikeable Protagonists

Top 5 Wednesday is hosted by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. You can find the Goodreads group here.

Today's topic is unlikeable protagonists! I think the one thing in common with everybody on this list is that they are controversial and complex. They are often perceived as villians, yet their motivations and growth demonstrate a moral greyness and even goodness beneath their initial persona.

1. Amy Dunne (Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn)

Amy is a bit of a sociopath, but I can't help but admire her anyway. The level of creativity and genius she demonstrates, her ruthless attitude, and her insistence on creating her own story in life are great, even if her reasoning is inherently skewed. If nothing else, she is a completely fascinating character that I thoroughly loved reading about.

2. Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)

I will defend Mr. Rochester to my grave. Taking two English courses where we discussed Jane Eyre, it was evident that he is not a likeable character. I was the minority in a class where the professor said, "Friends don't let friends date Rochester," and most of the class agreed.

I don't agree with locking mad wives in attics, HOWEVER, taking into account the norms of the time period, Rochester's actions were comparatively kind. Having Bertha murdered would have been a much easier task, but he rightly refuses to take this route and instead has to deal with his demons in the years to come. Were there other, better alternatives? Maybe. But we get no indication that Rochester hurts Bertha or hides her out of anything but self-protection. The woman tried to light his bed on fire when he was sleeping! Yes, he should have told Jane before he tried to marry her, but he deserves to be happy too. Rant over.

3. Jericho Barrons (Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning)

A lot of people like Barrons, but a lot of people despise him too, probably for the same reasons. He's the definition of an alpha male. He's arrogant, controlling, mean, secretive, and lacks emotion. Not to mention he's ridiculously attractive and rich. But when he walks into a room, there is something magnetic about him. His chemistry with Mac is off the charts, and overall he turns out to have some redeeming qualities after all. He cares about people, he's protective, he's funny, he's charming, and he gives me all the feels. He's certainly controversial, but I love him.

4. Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte)

Another Bronte character! Heathcliff is definitely more villainous than Rochester, but just as tragic. There's something about these Byronic heroes with all their flaws and dark brooding pasts that just gets me. His love story is sad and at many times I felt sympathetic towards him despite his horrible deeds. Ultimately, his story is just really compelling.

5. Jaime Lannister (A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin)

He pushed a child out of a window in order to protect his incestuous relationship with his sister. If anyone started from the rock bottom of unlikeable characters, it has to be Jaime. I consider it a feat that Martin has made Lannister so charming, self-deprecating, broken, and morally grey to the point of almost redeeming him in the eyes of readers and TV viewers. I like him despite every poor choice he's made, perhaps because he is so realistically flawed and complex.

Who are your favourite unlikeable protagonists? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Thanks for reading!