Men, do you read novels with female protagonists? What genres? What do you look for in the female leads? The male supporting characters? What turns you off, and/or irritates you?

Women, what genres do you read? What do you look for in a female protagonist? In male supporting characters? What turns you off, and/or irritates you?

Hello ObsideoErro, welcome to Booktalk!

I don't think I have an answer to your questions just now...



Would you like to tell us a little about yourself by writing an introduction in the Introduction threads?

Honestly, I like both. However, upon thinking about this, I guess I have a tendency to read more female books. Most of the main characters are female, for instance, my favorite is the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Digesting this even further, I just picked up four books from the library Widows of Eastwick, Mistress of the Sun, Silence in the Sanctuary and another one that I have forgotten the title of, but they are all female characters. That is very interesting.

I would love to know about the male view on this.

I also enjoy both and I try to alternate between them but I sometimes find it harder to find books with male protagonists. I find that I trust the authenticity of the male character more when the author is male. My choice would be not to know if the author was male or female until after I finished the novel, which is sometimes possible.

Well, I am female and I read books with both male and female protagonists. I personally like my female characters to be strong and individualistic. A simple romantic story doesn't cut it fotr me. I don't mind a romantic sub plot, I guess, but I don't read books purely for a love story... unlike some women. At the same time, I don't like it when there's a strong female character and all of the men are just submissive.
I've always thought that Val McDermid creates a fantastic balance there.

Your question is quite intriguing. I have found, that if done correctly, male or female protagonists can be interesting, believable, and enjoyable characters in which the reader is left wanting more.
For instance, Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe character was extremely likeable even though he was a hard-boiled, womanizing, liqour drinking PI who had his own moral code. (Yes I am going back a ways.) Then there is Travis McGee by John D. Mac Donald and the "Busted Flush", his 52- foot house boat in which he won in a poker game. A self proclaimed 'Salvage Consultant'.
And then there are the Ladies of Mystery, Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Who, among my generation, was not beguiled by this spinster, amatuer detective. An ordinary elderly lady who came aross as confused most of the time but when it came to solving a case; her mind was sharp and analytical. She had a gift of understanding human nature with all our weaknesses, strengths, quirks, and foibles. And then there was Ms. Michael Tree, (a comic book character, yes), created by Max Collins, but certainly no less convincing than Mike Hammer, Eliot Ness, or even Dick Tracy ,for that matter.
I am of the mind, that male or female protagonist, if the writer makes them interesting to the reader, they have done their job well.

I read many genres, so its hard to pin them all down, but I read many different books - some masculine, some feminine and some neuter. It keeps me interested and doesn't lock me into one genre or type of book.

Ashleigh,

I am in total agreement with you. Either one, (male or female), if done artfully and tastefully, can make for an interesting story that unfolds in a logical and precise manner.
Reading is a true pleasure from the mindless reality, animated, and nonsense they pass off as entertainment on television these days.

Enjoy the adventure!

bohemian_girl wrote:Well, I am female and I read books with both male and female protagonists. I personally like my female characters to be strong and individualistic. A simple romantic story doesn't cut it fotr me. I don't mind a romantic sub plot, I guess, but I don't read books purely for a love story... unlike some women. At the same time, I don't like it when there's a strong female character and all of the men are just submissive.
I've always thought that Val McDermid creates a fantastic balance there.

I SO TOTALLY agree with you. I don't read books for the romance facet of the story alone. And I get turned off with submissive (almost damsel-in-distress) men, male characters who constantly have their minds in the gutter (I only look for this when I'm reading fantasy adventure), or female characters who are for "display" a.k.a "...and then he is paired up with the beautiful lawyer..."

The world is prejudiced.

Though I tend to lean more to fantasy books with teenager (usually male) protagonist, I also admire kick-ass female protagonists (read:Anita Blake or Valentine), and at times genuine down-to-earth teenage girls.

As long as the characters are genuine and emphatic, the story would be worth a read.

I don't really look for anything in specific when dealing with female leads aside from my subjective view of a "plausible character." There are obviously exceptions to this idea. Most notable is when the point is that the character is not plausible.

While I have no other specific things that I look for in female leads, I do hate when the author makes the woman one of those rambunctious princesses that wants to ride horses and roll around in the mud with the boys, or any other such nonsense. Not because princesses can't want to do that, but because that sort of thing is so cliche these days.

I guess, as a general rule, I don't like reading books about things which I can identify as cliches.