Exit stage left please…
Who doesn’t love a book with an evil character? Mwaaaaahahahahahahaaaaaa! I adore books with characters so devious or dastardly that you can almost hear the swish of the curtain as they exit stage (or page, in this case).
My “almost-made-it” for this challenge was Count Fosco from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Rotund and with a fondness for brightly coloured waistcoats and pet mice, Count Fosco (despite seeming likeable for much of the book) is an evil genius and the brains behind the plot in this book (I can’t give away any more than that incase you haven’t read it yet – and if not why not???? ;))
However, despite it being a closely fought final, I have decided to go with Kathryn Stockett’s The Help and the brilliantly nasty Hilly Holbrook as my winner. What makes her my number one candidate for most evil character is the fact that on the surface she is quite normal – she is a mother, a wife, has a lovely home, attends church and organises most of the towns charity events. You don’t have to scratch the surface very hard, though, to realise that all is not what it seems. Cross Hilly at your peril! Hilly Holbrook is a bigotted and spiteful woman who will think nothing of seeing to it that others are fired from their jobs, sent to jail and have you run out of town (and all without barely lifting a finger herself).
Hilly is no moustache-twirling villain, but she is one of the best bitches I have ever read!
If you haven’t read my interview with Kathryn Stockett you can see it here too.
Which are your favourite evil characters? Who else should I be reading about?
The Book Whisperer 
I really love this 40 day book challenge,Boof, it is such a pleasure to read the posts everyday.Actually, I find myself eagerly waiting for them.
I read “the Woman in White” such a long time ago that I do not remember much about it, which means that i will have to read it again soon !
As for “the Help”, it is on my TBR and it sure sounds great !
I finished “No Time for Goodbye” by Linwood Barclay last night and there is a truly evil female character in there…she’s just terrifying isn’t she ? She gave me shivers and goose bumps !
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So glad you’re enjoying them, Virginie 🙂 I did start to regret saying I would do them everyday as it takes a long time and I am so busy at work at the moment but I am getting lots of lovely comments so it’s all worthwhile.
Yes, the woman in “No Time For Goodbye” is truly evil!!!
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This is a tricky one, I’m going to go with Severus Snape. He is my favourite character from Harry Potter. I know he isn’t exactly evil, but he was such a well written, complicated character, that you really hated him, but I loved him for all that he was despised for. I was heartbroken in the last book, I actually really cared for this fictional person 😉
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Snape is hot! OK, Alan Rickman is HOT! 😉
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I totally agree…It’s his voice, totally melts me…I love him in Love Actually *swoon*
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Hilly Holbrook is perfect for this title. Have you seen the movie adaptation? The actress who plays her is perfect for the role!
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I haven’t seen it yet but I can’t wait to!
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Hilly is a perfect choice. Count Fosco is good too, but I’d never have thought of him myself.
In my book group we discussed The Help and we hated Hilly so much that some of us (not me, I should add) would be very pleased to give her that very special present that she got. 🙂
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Oh I would have LOVED to give her a piece of that pie! That was so funny 😉
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What an interesting choice! I’d never have thought of her, but you are right – she is full of hatred.
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She’s vile isn’t she? I loved to hate her.
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Hmmm…. I may have to think on this one… Vodermort?
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I haven’t read the Harry Potter books (shame on me, I know!) but I would agree with that from watching the films.
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Ahhh! Good choice, Boof! I didn’t think of her but she is truly awful. And brilliantly played in the movie. I was thinking those bad guys in the Stieg Larsson’s books were all very nasty and scary. That’s my choice.
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I haven’t seen the movie yet but she is the character that I am most curious to see if they got right – pleased to hear that they did.
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Agreed on Hilly — she’s an example of the worst kind of evil, in my opinion.
My classics book group is reading The Woman in White next month so I can’t wait to read about Count Fosco.
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Will love to hear what you think, Sue.
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I immediately thought of Count Fosco too! Haven’t read The Help yet, but agree that Snape is also a good choice.
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Wow, this is hard — I’ve read lots of books with nasty characters, but mostly I just want to slap them — I don’t know that EVIL is the right word. But here are some of the characters I most love to hate in books:
1. Mr. Tulkinghorn in Bleak House by Charles Dickens. He’s the evil lawyer who makes Lady Dedlock’s life a misery.
2. Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Creepy housekeeper obsessed by her dead mistress.
3. Fanny Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility — she won’t let her husband share his fortune with his half-sisters, so they don’t have dowries to attract husbands. B*&^%$!!!
4. Soames Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga. He’s awful.
5. Prince Joffrey in A Game of Thrones. If I lived in their world, I’d try to assassinate him. He truly IS evil!! And his mother, Cersei Lannister. They’re an evil pair.
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