Do you enjoy books that shift narrative modes?

[LadyStardust]

Hi all, new here. I'll post an intro in a bit, but for the moment I just have a burning question:

Do you enjoy books in which the author uses different narrative modes? (Example: I just finished "Blind Panic" by Graham Masterton. Some chapters were first person POV, others were third person. The first person was limited to one character, so I thought it worked and wasn't too confusing overall.)

I know many people consider alternating narrative modes to be an unforgivable sin, so I was just curious. It's tough to get a straight answer out of friends/family, because they know I'm a writer and therefore feel there is a right or wrong answer - I just want an honest opinion, darn it! That's all!

So, assuming it's personal preference, what's yours?

[serenity01]

I don't mind, as long as it's well written, therefore not confusing.

[DATo]

WELCOME LadyStardust !!!

We recently had a thread covering the novel Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell which, in my opinion, ideally speaks to this topic. The book is composed of a series of vignettes. The book begins with the reader examining the content of a journal. It then moves on to a narrative composed only of letters from another character. The third section is told in third person and the style is much like a thriller/mystery. The fourth is a comedic, first-person account of experiences told by a resident of a senior citizen nursing home. The fifth is told from the standpoint of an interview of a prisoner, and the sixth by an old storyteller surrounded by people at a campfire in the distant future. In addition to the alternating narrative style each vignette takes place in a different time in history, and each vignette employs a different thematic style as well i.e. historical documentation, comedy, science fiction, thriller etc. All of the stories are loosely connected spanning centuries of time.

Cloud Atlas is what one may call a post-modernistic novel which would probably be quite different from what you are used to and will require some patience, but I would recommend it highly. They made a movie of it and I posted the URL here some time ago. I will post it once more below because I think this trailer will give you a better feel for what I am trying to describe than anything I can post in words; also, because this trailer itself is an artistic masterpiece as trailers go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnAqFyaQ5s

[Fran]

@LadyStardust
The short answer is it all depends on the calibre, skill and experience of the writer. IMO shifiting narrative modes or narrators should only be attempted by an experienced, skilled author who has honed their craft & served their apprenticeship - starving in a cold garret!. Almost always when attempted by the amateur the result is discordant, frustrating to read & stressful to the constitution of the unfortunate reader.
I concur with what DATo has posted, Cloud Atlas is a masterpiece.

[booklvr62]

Hi LadyStardust,WELCOME.I agree with what Fran just said.
I have read some books where the shift was handled very well,and some that caused confusion.I just tried to read 'The Poisonwood Bible' by Barbara Kingsolver and absolutely hated the way that she had each chapter alternate which of the five characters was narrating,because it totally destroyed any flow to the story,there just flat wasn't any flow, so I quit trying to read it. So I have to say I prefer that it is not done,but it will not bother me,if it is done skillfully.

[Maud Fitch]

Just passing through and had to add my two cents worth.

I've just finished two novels written by UK authors, one by William Boyd and the other by S J Bolton. The plots are set in London and feature the Thames River as a magnificent (and menacing) backdrop to various criminal activities; both have displaced persons, the water police and a less-than-squeaky-clean protagonist.

My point being that Boyd has about five main characters and changes first person POV with almost every chapter.
Disconcerting when you are forming a bond with a particular person and they don't come back for another four chapters. On the other hand, Bolton keeps this to a bare minimum and most chapters are first person POV of the protagonist. It seemed to flow better for me and I still had that edge-of-the-seat feeling without the stopping and starting technique Boyd used to build tension.

As others have stated, it depends on the skill and fluency of the writer but I'd prefer a single narrative.

[LadyStardust]

Thank you for the lovely responses!

I agree that it can be incredibly confusing to have multiple POV. I assume this has something to do with why I would give the Masterton book, "Blind Panic", an 'eh' on the overall scary scale. I didn't feel like I was losing anything in the inital reading, but when I got done, I realized I had never really connected with any of the characters.

Loving this forum thus far; getting lots of wonderful book recommendations along the way!

[sbanks147]

I think books can be good when the viewpoints change, but many times it gets confusing if not written well. I agree that when the author changes characters too much it can lose the ability to be able to really connect with any one character. I prefer books with one character view, as then you can connect much better and feel like you are in that characters shoes more.

[jhardy0229]

Not in most cases. I read a book in High School that was extremely difficult to follow but the difficulty could partially have been because I couldn't keep up with which character was talking and when and also because it was the first book I'd ever read with the narrative mode shifting that way. Another more recent book that I read wasn't AS difficult to follow but it was a tad bit harder to get into as the narrator was always changing.

[rachel5]

The first person narrative is okay for some books, but I prefer the third person narration. With one person narration you can only understand the point of view and feelings of just one character. I like to read books where it's general, and where I can read about all of the character's points of view.

[Gannon]

I enjoy all narrative modes and don't really have a favourite. As long as the writing is good any narrative is fine by me. If I was forced into reading just one narrative it would probably be third person, however with first person you can delve into a character's thoughts. I suppose it depends on the story.

[jcyb1]

Don't you think it depends on the purpose of the book?
I'm thinking of The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder, which, I believe, won a literary prize. It explores the lives of a group of disparate people who 'just happen' to be on a bridge in South America that falls. Fate ?, Divine Plan ? can take you, at any time, despite your station in life.
Also, on a less lofty scale, The Evening Class by Maeve Binchey was so interesting to me, as a high school teacher, of the lives of people in a shared interest group: their backgrounds, their goals, what brings them to the group, and where the group's energy takes them.
I think the author who used this writing technique has a purpose beyond the narrative tale.

[JFezzx]

Sometimes it's pretty confusing

[crazy4chocolate]

Absolutely! As a matter of fact I search them out. One of my favorite authors,that I feel has perfected this style of writing, is Jodi Picoult. I enjoy stories that shift narrative within the character's, because it gives the story more depth, as you get to experience each character's point of view.

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and you feel like you've lost a good friend.

[jcyb1]

I just finished Gone Girl by Flynn. If you haven't read it, set aside a couple days because you won't want to even stop to eat! Each chapter alternates between Nick, the husband, and Amy the wife, and it uses the dual narrative to great effect in moving the plot and in building suspense! I think it's MUCH better than if it were told 3rd person or from one point of view!