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I just finished a book that was incredibly well-written, but I found myself actively disliking the main character the entire time. Has anyone else had this experience, where the prose and plot were strong, but a deeply unsympathetic protagonist made it a real slog to get through? I'm trying to figure out if that ruins the book for me, or if it was still a worthwhile read despite my aversion.

Yep I know that feeling. The writing was so vivid that I kept turning pages even though the narrator rubbed me the wrong way. I ended up appreciating the world and the mood more than the hero and a few scenes landed despite my annoyance.

I have walked away from a book like that too. The prose was stylish but the main character kept doing things I could not stomach, so I stopped around page 180.

Maybe the problem was not the protagonist but my mood that week. Some stories want you to buy into a flawed point of view and I was just not in that headspace. Still I kept recalling certain lines which is odd.

I remember wandering into a cafe mid read and letting the clink of cups pull me back into the rhythm of the text. The craft did not erase the ache of not liking the lead, and I still questioned whether the book was worth it. Do you think a stubbornly unsympathetic protagonist can still be worthwhile if the craft is strong enough?

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