The popular "main character energy" is a term that has been floating in the online ether for a little while now (a.k.a TikTok) and has been defined as a characteristic of a person prioritising themselves and their own happiness - you know, Carpe Diem and all of that. Typically it's all about someone embodying positive attributes such as self-confidence, self-respect and self-love, like we typically witness at the climax of a cheesy RomCom when the leads finally come to their senses and take ownership of their situation. However, lately I have been gravitating towards a list of best-selling books which all are antithetical to this concept and although their fascinating main characters' behaviours, thoughts and emotions are truly at the focal point of the plot, they are in my opinion pretty unlikable main character energies.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein - Coco Mellors (2022)
A new year's eve typical meet cute ends up with Cleo (a 20-something British struggling artist and U.S. green-card seeker) meeting Frank (a 40-something marketing mogul) and the rather toxic relationship/rushed marriage that ensues. The constant miscommunication running throughout the book is reminiscent of Sally Rooney's fictional style with the agonising push and pull, feverishly tiresome. Set against a gritty and glamorous New York backdrop, Mellors rather successfully paints this generation's chaotic world amidst endless choice and the continuous search for happiness which seems distressfully unattainable. Cleo is unpredictable, stubborn, chronically lacks a sense of belonging and has this "make your bed, lie in it" attitude. If you are into slightly frustrating and a-typical love stories, this one is for you. Don't expect a Hollywood plot twist at any point.
2. My Year of Rest and Relaxation - Ottessa Moshfegh (2019)
Imagine - utterly privileged and spoiled young woman, plus unlimited access to sedatives. A lethal combination that is at the epicentre of Moshfegh's novel, closely following a truly unlikable and disaffected protagonist set in the early '00s. The unlikeableness is probably heightened by the fact that this particular main character is left unnamed throughout the book. So dissatisfied with her current life situation, she decides to go into Ambien hibernation for an entire year, only coming out of her "good American sleep" for Pizza and her usual run to the local deli. Her world is surrounded by equally unlikable characters - her obscenely optimistic best friend Reva, tormented and possessed with the idea of image and status, and who ultimately doesn't care enough to even question the narrator's medicated sleep. You also have the college ex-boyfriend who she obsesses about even though he's spent years tearing her down. You would think a bit of sympathy for her would brew within you throughout the book, but it truly doesn't. However, although obnoxious, Moshfegh's character is intriguing and perhaps has the ability to poke at our own anxieties, selfishness, and intrusive thoughts we wish we could act upon but thankfully never do.
3. I'm A Fan - Sheena Patel (2023)
An unnamed main character (once again) is caught in an affair with a married and promiscuous man "the man she wants to be with" which she obsesses over, as well as all the other women he is sleeping with. One of them in particular "the woman I'm obsessed with", which she prolifically stalks on social media. She cannot fathom why he chooses to divide his life up between multiple women instead of committing to her, all whilst having a (completely oblivious) long-term boyfriend herself. Patel dives into today's social online complexities, how we pick apart and judge, and how we verbally/non-verbally communicate through screens. The continuous torture she puts herself through by his lack of interest and absence is dire, but in someway (although extreme) is kind of relatable. We've all been all-consumed by the wrong person at some point in our life to the despair of our close friends, and no one can pass a lie detector test saying they've never had a jealous deep dive into someone's online account. It's perhaps this universal feeling that makes this book worth a read despite Patel's very unlikable female lead.
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