Unlikable characters

It's interesting the things we read.  I've been reading a book the last few days that isn't my favorite.  It has been tempting to put it down and not finish it, but I've invested enough time in it that I feel obligated to see it through.

If you read the title of my blog you will know why I'm not too fond of this book: unlikable characters.  I read and keep hoping these characters will stop and start making different decisions.  But, so far, my hope has been vain.

I know that when writing, the characters I create should be flawed.  However, they still need to be likable enough that you can look past those flaws or at least accept them.  

In real life this is a tricky thing.  We should love all men, but with some that is harder than others.  And unlike a novel, it's not appropriate to just discard them because we don't like them.  There is also the concern that we might be the unlikable character.  That is definitely a sobering thought.  I suppose the only way to deal with these concerns is to turn to another book - the Good Book.

Maya Angelou said, "While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation."