Is it important for a main character to be liked by the reader?
Additionally, please provide the names of you favourite books where the main character(s) are unlikable (not shallow or badly thought out, but genuinely unlikable), but the plot keeps you reading.
>>7535909
Of course they should be likable. If they're the main character, you're spending all your time with them and so you should like reading about them the most.
in order, no, notes from the underground, combray and anything written by vargas llosa and also
>but the plot keeps you reading.
you fucking pleb
fire of my loins
>>7535909
>Is it important for a main character to be liked by the reader?
No, a character only needs to be well written.
why should the mc be likeable? you want him to be interesting, if he's commiting genocide in an interesting way you'll read it, if he goes around helping people and being a cool dude in the most boring way you'll close the book.
why do you need to have this explained to you? do you have some kind of dificulties forming thoughts?
>>7535936
Plebs want a likable MC so they can self insert.
>>7535921
Thank you for the recommendations.
>>7535913
>Women actually believe this
>>7535948
plebs should understand that engaging the audience comes before qualities of MC
>>7535925
Aye
>>7535925
yup
>>7535913
No, that's retarded
>>7535909
Not in the sense of, "I identify with this person and would love to have lunch with them if they were real," but in the sense of, "I enjoy reading about them". I loved Ignatius as a character because he was funny to read about, but I'd sooner shoot myself than sit next to him on a bus. I loved to hate him.
>>7535925
>implying HH is unlikeable
>>7535909
Humbert Humbert obviously.
>>7535909
>names of you favourite books where the main character(s) are unlikable
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
Yes, but they should be liked as characters, not as people.
>>7536507
oh sure you can like him, but it's unlikely
No.
Thinking the character needs to be liked gets your Reddit-tier criticism like "i hate catcher in the rye because holden is a whiny bitch!" and "ugh i can't relate to any of these characters, dropped 100 pages in"
>>7535909
No, I didn't gave two shits about Meursault. But the book isn't that bad.
>>7535909
I disliked Ignatius in the Confederacy of Dunces but I liked the book.
>>7535909
>Is it important for a main character to be liked by the reader?
Absolutely not.
>>7535909
Frederic Moreau from Sentimental Education is the biggest bitch in the history of literature. Insufferable, sappy, emo child.
Still liked the book.
>>7535909
>Is it important for a main character to be liked by the reader?
Anyone who thinks this needs to leave this board. As shit as this board is they are too shit at reading to even post here.
>>7538266
This is the only fair "Yes", and it comes down to the writer's ability to render the character itself. Not simply traits that the reader may find likable. Only surface readers think like that.
>>7535909
No.
And Emma Bovary isn't exactly likable. Esther Greenwood isn't an amazing person either. Francois in ''Submission'' isn't very likable. It's well written, and he has interesting things to say, but he is definitely not very likable.
Same goes for the protagonist of Hamsun's ''Hunger'', or Sadeq Hedayat's ''The Blind Owl'' or ''Three Drops of Blood''. It's just a story. What I like about good literature is that it makes every character who's viewpoint we take (who isn't mentally ill or crippled socially) rationalize its own behavior. People will go to incredible lengths to form entire paradigms based on their own shortcomings, which results in the world making perfect sense for the person to be in it (and on 4chan especially people will go to great lengths to spot out your personal flaws based on your assumed beliefs or quirks). You'll always end up seeing things their way. This can create a connection, of course, but it in no way makes a person likable.
