Feo Takahari
Auror
This is probably best explained through an example. A while ago, I read a book called I Am Not a Serial Killer, the main character of which is a sociopath with violent impulses. He's clever, insightful, and even relatable at times, but he can also be a very uncomfortable character to read about, especially when he's fantasizing about doing something horrible. He's not a villain protagonist or anything, just . . . dark.
More recently, I picked up the sequels. Book 2 develops him into something resembling a heroic figure, but also removes everything that kept him under control. Book 3 has to deal with all the fallout of book 2, now that he's dropped his code against killing, he's willing to use innocent people as bait, and the one person who might have actually held him back thinks he's a twisted freak and no longer wants to talk to him. It got to a point where I felt physically uncomfortable reading the things this kid thought, and I wasn't able to finish reading the book.
What do you think makes a character unreadable? And what methods are available to work around it?
More recently, I picked up the sequels. Book 2 develops him into something resembling a heroic figure, but also removes everything that kept him under control. Book 3 has to deal with all the fallout of book 2, now that he's dropped his code against killing, he's willing to use innocent people as bait, and the one person who might have actually held him back thinks he's a twisted freak and no longer wants to talk to him. It got to a point where I felt physically uncomfortable reading the things this kid thought, and I wasn't able to finish reading the book.
What do you think makes a character unreadable? And what methods are available to work around it?