TGIF at G Reads! (2)

Thanks to G Reads! for hosting! And TGIF!

The question this week is:
Love-Hate Relationship: Which characters from a book do you love to hate?

In no particular order-



Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Mrs. Danvers slinks around the DeWinter mansion like a ghost, pining away for her former mistress Rebecca. When Mr. DeWinter brings home a new, young and naive bride, Mrs. Danvers finds a new favorite hobby: torturing the new Mrs. DeWinter any way she can.  Part obsessed and part mad, Mrs. Danvers is the housekeeper from hell. Psychologically torturing the poor Mrs. DeWinter secretly.
Classic evil villain. 



  

Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K Rowling
Can we say evil in pink? Dolores Umbridge seems to be a teacher at Hogwarts with one purpose- to slowly torture the children there. This toad like lady symbolizes the lack of understanding and political egocentric-ism that has leaked into Hogwarts, making the once safe sanctuary a menacing and unsure place.
And shows Harry to fear more than just Voldemort and Dementors - Humans can be equally evil.


 
Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Count Olaf's goal is to take advantage of the three Baudelaire orphans. His elaborate plots are outrageous, sinister and scary. Luckily, they are also thwarted every time by these brilliant kids and thank goodness for that. Count Olaf is so much fun to hate. 







The Joker from the Batman comic books series 
The Joker is the perfect arch nemesis for our dear Dark Knight. His killing sprees are done mostly for entertainment value. And his madness balances Batman's sense of duty nicely. But somewhere in there, he is the perfect anti-Batman. The Joker symbolizes everything Batman keeps in check. He is the "one step too far" over the edge, the line Batman can never cross. The Joker's brilliance is his intellectual power, his quick mind and his understanding of Batman in a way the other villians don't. Which makes him the most dangerous of all.

Dracula from Dracula by Bram Stoker

Not even going to mention the many reincarnations of dear Dracula. The original Dracula by Bram Stoker is a perfect love to hate character. With only one goal in mind, Dracula in his purest form is an animal driven by his need for blood. Gothic romance, animal instinct, this Dracula is evil and unforgiving. Reading the book now still creeps me out. The slow build of the story is perfect. 

Heathcliff and Catherine from Weathering Heights by Emily Bronte

They bring out the worst in each other and embody the worst parts of love. But the deep love and obsession between them can't be ignored. Catherine and Heathcliff's impossible relationship is both strong and equally insane. They are truly horrible, selfish, vindictive people. Yet how can you not love them together? Their unfulfilled love is laid out for all to see and their revenge tactics gather more victims than a war, openly striking each other where they think the other will hurt most. Their love is equal to their hate. And I love to hate them both.

I've left off tons of characters I know! 

So who do you love to hate?? :)