I’ve recently begun work on a new fiction piece and it’s in the style of my favourite type of novel–the jackhole narrator/protagonist. You know the ones–utterly compelling to read about but all the money in the world wouldn’t persuade you to have a meal with the sociopath.

I’m seeing just how difficult it is to write a character devoid of likable qualities but still interesting to the reader. So I’d like to read more books of the sort to see how other people handle it. Two lists follow: books I’ve already read that qualify and books recommended to me by friends. Please weigh in if you’ve read a book (or books) that count.

Books I’ve Read
1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt. One of my fav books but I wouldn’t want to meet any of the characters.
2. The Stranger by Albert Camus. Remorseless sociopath/perhaps schizoid.
3. The Untouchable by John Banville. Another narrator utterly lacking in compassion. This one was a spy for the Russians during the Cold War, based on the Cambridge Spies.
4. The Book of Evidence by John Banville. Very similar to The Stranger in that it’s a story about a person told in hindsight who did Very Bad Things.
5. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Uh… he was a paedophile. And he put a lot of the blame on his victim. Charming, this guy.

Books Recommended to Me
1. The Talented Mr Ripley, Ripley Under Ground, Ripley’s Game, The Boy Who Followed Ripley and Ripley Under Water by Patricia Highsmith.
2. London Fields by Martin Amis.
3. Lancelot by Walker Piercy.
4. Keep the Aspidistra Flying by Orwell.

Your thoughts?

[And, Dr Lecter up there was my imaginary best friend when I was thirteen. He’s a fictional person I would absolutely like to meet. Same goes for Dexter.]