First-Person Narration - A Good Option?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2020 Book of the month, "Opaque" by Calix Leigh-Reign
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FaithMO19
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Re: First-Person Narration - A Good Option?

Post by FaithMO19 »

I have not read it yet but I think generally a book is more interesting and understanding if it's written in the first person narrative. The readers would be able to relate with and understand the characters well. My opinion.
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Post by AnxiousSocks »

I haven't read the book, but this topic is something I think about a lot.
I think it's easier for me to accept a first-person narrator when it is justified, and when it can really add something valuable to the narrative or of our understanding of the protagonist's psychology. Sometimes I think the subtlety of third person makes the book more complex and interesting, and doesn't give you all of the information about the character in such a direct way.
So for me it is definitely a case to case thing.
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Post by Vlinstry »

I really like first person narratives as it allows me to immerse myself more in the book and the story as a whole. I can put myself in the characters shoes and see through their eyes giving a better idea of what's going on.
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Post by Samantha Simoneau »

cristinaro wrote: 15 Feb 2020, 07:49 Do you think that it was a good idea for the author to alternate between Adam's and Carly's first-person narration? As far as I am concerned, I found Adam's passages more interesting and believable than Carly's. Would a third-person narration have worked better?
I haven't read this particular book yet, but I consider third-person perspective to be "safer," so to speak. But first-person add suspense and a sense of immediacy if done properly.
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Post by Sarah Nichols 7 »

Deciding to write in the first-person narration that switches between characters is hit and miss. Sometimes, one character feels more together with their thoughts and the other is jumbled and hard to follow. It all lands on the author’s skills and the story they’re trying to tell. I don’t have a set preference on which narration I prefer, but I do become frustrated if I can’t keep track of who is speaking or who is having what thought.
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Post by tjportugal »

JohnKasha wrote: 08 Apr 2020, 08:10 First persona narration was a good option. It makes the reader feel as being part of the characters themselves and this makes it enjoyable.
I totally agree with you. First person narration can make you feel like you are part of the plot; so much so that sometimes it's really difficult to accept that the you've finished the book, i.e. you just want it to continue, you miss the characters and there's a sense of parting. That's what a good first-person-narration book does to you.
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Post by NatRose »

I generally prefer first-person narration, but to me this book didn't truly seem like it was written in first person because perspectives from the other person's side would bleed through. For example, in the scene where Carly meets Adam's family, we are told how Jo and Mark are feeling even though the majority seems to be from Carly's POV. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, and this is because the POV is actually switching in every paragraph, but if that's the case I'd prefer it to just be third-person.
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Post by Kishor Rao »

Yes. I totally agree with you. Not only the perspectives shift in alternate chapters but also within a single chapter and it was confusing at times. A third-person narrator would have really helped a lot.
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Post by Maconstewart »

I haven't read this book, but this post brings up a valid point. I really have never considered my preference of first or third person perspective. After reading the comments, I agree that first person does seem to bring the reader a closer, more in depth feel for the character. I think mostly it brings a story more depth and life. However, consistently would be vital in not leaving the reader confused.
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Post by DEEPA PUJARI »

I like to read first person narrative in
Fiction. I think the author should have used first person for both the characters.
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Post by steve2gold »

Writing in the first person to me in an art in itself.
I love books usually portrayed in this light.

Makes want to read that book now!
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Post by Falling4Ever »

I think the first person was used so you could experience the story in multiple perspectives. Understand how they both took in and experienced the situations.
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Post by Falling4Ever »

I think the first person was used so you could experience the story in multiple perspectives. Understand how they both took in and experienced the situations.
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Post by Falling4Ever »

I think the first person was used so you could experience the story in multiple perspectives. Understand how they both took in and experienced the situations.
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Post by vagrimes »

I actually found the narration style to be confusing at times since there was rarely an indication that the perspective had switched between characters. I am generally a fan of first-person narration as I find it's easier to relate to and is more impactful, but when the switch between characters is not clear I feel it makes the story difficult to follow. Additionally, a few times I questioned whether the narrator included information that would not have been known to the character at the time. It read like a third-person omniscient point of view which confused me even more.

Did anyone else feel that the narration style was more similar to third-person than first-person?
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