Have you ever come across a fictional protagonist that you just can't stand?

[scarletwoman]

I'm a big fan of Scandinavian crime novels/mysteries, and over the past several years I've worked my through more authors than I can count. Almost all of them are authors of ongoing series featuring a particular central character - often, but not always, a police detective.

Authors like Arnaldur Indriðason (Iceland) and his Erlander series, Jo Nesbo (Norway) and his Harry Hole series, Karin Fossum (Norway) and her Inspector Sejer series, Anne Holt (Norway) and both her Vik & Stubo, and Hanne Wilhelmsen series, Henning Mankell (Sweden) and his fabulous Kurt Wallander series, Åsa Larsson (Sweden) and her Rebecka Martinsson series, Camilla Läckberg (Sweden) and her Patrik Hedstrom series, Jussi Adler-Olsen (Denmark) and his Department Q series - well, the list could go on and on.

Two dozen, three dozen, more? I've been working my way through nearly every Scandinavian author who's had their books translated to English, and my list of authors I haven't gotten to yet is still full of over dozen more names.

When I pick a new (to me) author to try, I always work my through their entire series in order, before I move on to the next author.

So, anyway, the next author on my ongoing list was Liza Marklund - for whom I've always come across a lot of hype. Her ongoing series features Annika Bengtzon, a crime reporter in Stockholm.

Oh. my. gawd. I cannot stand this character! I just finished the first 2 books of the series, getting more and more annoyed by Annika the more I read. She's weepy, prone to hyperventilating and incredibly irrational and/or inappropriate behavior, freaks out about stuff over and over again, and drove me increasingly more nuts as I slogged my way through book two. Since I already had book three on hand - and nothing else to read - I gritted my teeth and thought, "well, maybe she gets more stable...", since this story takes place when she's several years older and has gotten the man, the children, and the job she wants.

So, I crack open #3 and what is the first sentence I see?

I can't take this, Annika thought. I'm dying. She pressed her palms against her forehead, forcing herself to breathe regularly and calm down.

Has she suffered a painful bodily injury? Has some horrible tragedy befallen her? Is she faced with some life and death peril?

No, she's packing to leave for a summer holiday with her husband and children and is unsure if she's remembered everything she'll need to bring along!

I mean, GAAAAAAHHH!

No more Liza Marklund and Annika Bengtzon for me!

Hope I have better luck with the next author.