So I've recently gotten very into three seemingly very different works of fiction (Lolita, the Penguin, and Mouthwashing) that all fucked with me in a similar way, and I've been aching to find a good book that scratches this itch ever since.
What I'm looking for is a character driven story where the main character is a horrible person who is nonetheless unable to see themselves or their actions in any less than the best possible light, including just outright denying reality when they can't otherwise justify themselves. These characters are frequently highly unreliable, egos fragile, and grasp on reality shaky at best, which makes them all the more compelling when the weight of their actions becomes too much and they have to start bending reality to fit their own narrative.
Another thing that just inherently makes these characters more interesting is when we get to know their victims on a deeper level and feel the weight of the horrors the protagonist has inflicted upon them.
I know this is all a highly specific and kind of weird request, but I'd be quite grateful for anyone who can point me in the direction of any books that feature characters of this nature.
by Strange-Tea1931
1 Comment
God I wish I had more recommendations bc I want this too; I’d say crime and punishment is a good classic featuring a morally blurred protagonist and interesting psychology/philosophy with a twisted narrative, but he’s not absolutely malicious fucked up like you’re looking for. American Psycho is a good one too for high ego high instability biased narration and horrible HORRIBLE actions and seems pretty fitting for what you’re looking for; heavy tw tho bc that book is brutal