Most of the time people will tell you that the main character has to be "likable". most of the time this means that they subscribe to the readers version of right and wrong, baring that a "dark character" or "antihero" must be charming (think Dexter) and still have have his/her own code or ethics that the readers can identify with and on some level admire. other then Alex in A Clockwork Orange (who endeared himself by virtue of eloquence) I can't think of many main characters that were what I would call despicable but he still isn't unlikable. Dose any one know a GOOD book that has an intentionally unlikable main character?