Do they interest you? I don’t mean the self-deluded type that are considered by themselves and other characters to be selfless, kind, and humble even though a reader will look at their narration and think, “Oh gawd, the amount of privilege/ignorance/obliviousness in your words. D:”
No, I mean the self-aware ones who know they are unsympathetic and couldn’t care less. They are arrogant, ambitious, daring. The ones that will punch you in the nose if you stand in their way of getting what they want. They are often seen more as antagonists or sharpened into villains than as protagonists.
I honestly find this type to be fascinating when written well. I don’t need to sympathize with a main character to want to follow them through their story — just find something to admire or empathize with in them. Or not even that; the main character in The Physiognomy is an outright asshole for much of the story, but he’s so damn entertaining that I was sucked in within the first several pages.
How do you feel about this type of main character? Can’t stand ‘em? Enjoy ‘em? Something in between?
Enjoy them if they are done well, which is rarely. The author usually chickens out and has them show just a smidgen of heart and goodness which completely invalidates what they are.
Like Costner’s character in Waterworld! Was he a badass, or a nice-guy-at-heart? Inconsistencies!
I really enjoy the more aggressive, less compassionate characters – again, when written well. So long as they’re realistic, believable, and have a reason for being who and how they are, I enjoy the change of pace from the noble or the sweet.
It’s funny that something in between was a choice, because that’s exactly how I feel. I’ve encountered very few of these characters in writing, but in MOVIES–oh God. Don’t get me wrong, I usually love movies with the asshole male main characters, but I’m starting to feel this kind of character is becoming cliche’. Hopefully directors/screenwriters don’t steer these fellows TOO far into asshole territory or else they will become undoubtedly become cliche’.