What character drives you nuts? It's all about the characters, right? So which of the cast really gets on your nerves?
These are characters that may not hold the lead as the "bad guy", but they are still annoying! As powerful as sweet characters might be, annoying ones leap off the page. These are the people who run nails across the chalkboard as you read. The reach from the page and drive you nuts. You want to hit them because they are just that icky.
When these characters died -- if they died -- you might have cheered.
That he is able to annoy us with characters, sometimes so real they make your blood boil, displays a strength in King's writing.
Here's my list of irritating Stephen King characters:
1. Craig Toomy in the Langoliers. On edge, easily set off -- King makes him completely unlikeable.
2. The Tick Tock man. (My wife's nomination.)
3. Blane the Mono. Did you ever want to punch a train?
4. Carrie's mama. Religious weirdo #1.
5. Mother Carmody. Religious weirdo #2.
6. Revered Rose. Religious weirdo #3 + Bigot.
7. Herold Lauder. Idiot.
8. Vera Donevan. Rich snob.
9. Joe St. George. Wife beater, general idiot.
10. The Trashcan Man. Though lovable, he is also annoying.
11. Rita Blakemoor, from The Stand. Old, washed out druggie.
12. Julie Lawry. The girl from The Stand who Nick met in the drugstore.
13. Will Darnell. Jerk from Christine who owned the auto body shop.
14. Wilfred James, 1922's narrator who killed his wife. Though I'm not including a lot of main characters, this guy was an idiot from start to finish.
15. Cap in Firestarter.
16. Reverend Coggins. Religious weirdo #4
17. The Beaver. Not always annoying. . . but really, man -- toothpicks!
So what characters do you find irritating?
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I agree with you on Carrie's mom.
ReplyDeleteI would add Quilla Anderson from "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon." The book in general was one of King's weakest and she was far from being desperate about finding her child.
Percy Wetmore from "The Green Mile" would be irritating, but he's a key antagonist. So far, he's the antagonist that I have the most hatred toward, while he may not be the scariest.
"Wild Bill" Wharton from "The Green Mile," for all the right reasons.
The antagonists in "Carrie," also for all of the right reasons. They represent the irritation that high school drama brings.
Wendell Green, the sleazy journalist from Black House came immediately to mind. I hated that guy!
ReplyDeleteOH! Mr. Marsh in IT.
ReplyDeleteThe winner of this prize (in my book, at least) is the Trashcan Man, with Richie Tozier being a close second.
ReplyDeleteRaul Esparza made everyone annoying in Under the Dome.
ReplyDelete-mike
I always thought Lauder's first name was "Harold" and not "Herald"... LOL
ReplyDeleteHarold it is.
ReplyDeleteAlso, first post misspelled "irritating". . . which irritated me.
Detta Walker from The Dark Tower is pretty obnoxious.
ReplyDeleteFran from The Stand annoys me to no end
ReplyDelete