I am writing a book in a completely different genre than "literary," but one model for my tragic/loathsome main character is Humbert Humbert, the vile protagonist of Nabokov's Lolita. Ultimately, though, that character's motivation is sexual -- which is not where I am going with my story.

So I'd like to read some examples of anti-heroic, even criminal, protagonists to see how other authors pull off making the reader identify with them despite their -- objectively speaking -- unlikableness. (When I say "criminal," I am not talking about the charming thief who the reader roots for in a heist/caper story. I am talking about someone more internally conflicted than that.)

Does anything come to mind?

DNeuschulz wrote:I am writing a book in a completely different genre than "literary," but one model for my tragic/loathsome main character is Humbert Humbert, the vile protagonist of Nabokov's Lolita. Ultimately, though, that character's motivation is sexual -- which is not where I am going with my story.

So I'd like to read some examples of anti-heroic, even criminal, protagonists to see how other authors pull off making the reader identify with them despite their -- objectively speaking -- unlikableness. (When I say "criminal," I am not talking about the charming thief who the reader roots for in a heist/caper story. I am talking about someone more internally conflicted than that.)

Does anything come to mind?

I've read exactly one Conan story. In it, Conan was a conquering raider. He was definitely a murderer and a rapist and a taker of the fruit of other people's labor. Maybe you're looking for that? Now that I think about it, a bunch of Robert E Howard's protagonists are non-heroic.

It is not an easy read, but I would suggest "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky.