Margaret White (Carrie, Stephen King)
Unstable God botherer Margaret White is arguably the worst mother on this list, mentally and physically abusing her daughter Carrie along with the rest of the small town in Maine.
Joanna Bolouri
Mrs Danvers (Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier)
The most sinister housekeeper to ever grace the pages of a novel, Mrs Danvers systematic cruel manipulation of the main character is truly unnerving.
Aunt Lydia (The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood)
Worst Aunt ever.
Annie Wilkes (Misery, Stephen King)
HOBBLING! That is all. This still gives me the heebies.
Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey)
The systematic abuse and humiliation of her mentally ill patients does not make for an easy read.
The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L Frank Baum)
A telescopic eye, flying monkeys and ordering crows to peck your eyes out. She’s despicable yes but in her defence, those were some sweet shoes.
Corrine Dollanganger (Flowers in the Attic, V C Andrews)
Mother hides kids in the attic so she can reclaim the family fortune. Neglect, abuse and incest, this entire novel made me uneasy.
Jennet Humfrye (The Woman in Black, Susan Hill)
One of the few villains I feel sorry for. A tragic life, culminating in the loss of a child and a suicide. If I was her, I’d be haunting everyone too.
Barbara Covett – Notes on a Scandal, Zoe Heller)
To be honest, neither of the main characters in this novel are particularly blameless but Barbara’s neediness and manipulation are alarming to say the least.
Amy Dunne – Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn)
There aren’t many characters in novels that I immediately dislike but she was most definitely one of them. Twisted, spoiled and utterly vile.
