First-Person Narration - A Good Option?

[Brenda Creech]

Third-person would have been ok, but I think the story being written in the first person helped me get to know the characters better.

[Howlan]

First-person narration is all fine and dandy when you can make a difference between the characters. Otherwise... I don't know it is not about first or third person narration it is more of what kind of book it is. Maybe for fantasy, I wouldn't choose the first person.

I think Adam as a character would have caused so much influence if the story was narrated in the third person.

Wouldn't you say that if the writing is good that the narration is not really an issue? But I do think that only except are audiobooks which always work better for me in the third person.

Yes true. But a great narrative scheme is achieved through both writing and narration. It is more definite in the audiobooks though.

[Tars]

I would have preferred third person narration best, because in my opinion, it makes story to unravel more fluidly. That way readers don't encounter constant distraction trying to understand who's POV they read at the moment, plus all characters get more in depth description of reactions and not only thoughts.

This is a good point. Third person narrative is good for covering more ground as first person POV limits the story to that specific character. This book seemed like a weird hybrid of the two!

Exactly this "hybrid" writing style confused me even future. It got to the point where it irritated me so much that I considered stop reading the book altogether. And I take pride in fact that I always read books till the end, even those I found out I don't like in the process.

[SangeethaNarayan]

Personally, I'm a big fan of first person narration. And if the switch between two first person narration ks made efficiently, it can prove to be quite an interesting read. Overall, the author managed the switch in this book very effectively. There was only one part in the book when the switch seemed a bit confusing. The part where Adam hurt Carly with a ball, I was a bit confused as to if there was a switch or something else.

[Nym182]

I would have preferred third person narration best, because in my opinion, it makes story to unravel more fluidly. That way readers don't encounter constant distraction trying to understand who's POV they read at the moment, plus all characters get more in depth description of reactions and not only thoughts.

This is a good point. Third person narrative is good for covering more ground as first person POV limits the story to that specific character. This book seemed like a weird hybrid of the two!

Exactly this "hybrid" writing style confused me even future. It got to the point where it irritated me so much that I considered stop reading the book altogether. And I take pride in fact that I always read books till the end, even those I found out I don't like in the process.

Ditto! I don't remember the last time I stopped midway through a book!

[Bhaskins]

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?

Hmm that is a great question!

One of the cons of a first-person narrative is the narrative can be unreliable because you are seeing things filtered through their perception... but you gain greater in-depth knowledge of the person's who POV it is.

I do think it was interesting to see things through each of their POVs but the issue I had was the POVs were very fluid... You never really knew whos POV you were in and I feel like it even switched from Carly to Adam mid chapter.

I do think it would not have been better in a third-person narrative.

I agree. I love first person because we get such a great look into their thoughts. But It can make things confusing when it's not clear where the shifts happen. I wish that was shown a bit more clearly in this case I had to re-read a few things just to see ok am I Carly or Adam?

[mishkaat]

I think first person narration is more appropriate and writer has done enough justification.

[AvidBibliophile]

I agree that Adam's passages/sections seemed to possess more of a raw resonance. Perhaps Carly, as a character, just wasn't intended to display the same depth of emotional volatility and fluctuation, but a third-person narration would have been just as efficient I think.

[Agnes Masobeng]

The first person always works better when one wants to tap into the character's mind. But the problem is that it is not omniscient. That's where the third person narration comes in.

[ninski]

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?

That´s interesting... I was the opposite and sometimes found Adam´s first person observations less believable than Carly´s, I guess it´s all in the eye of the beholder. I usually appreciate a first person treatment when there is only one narrator, as in Stephen King´s The Green Mile which comes to mind as perfectly executed. When you have more than one character switching as narrator I find it´s just a bit more hard work to read. Not that this detracts from this book. Ultimately, the author has the choice to use the treatment they feel works best and I don´t think there is any particular right or wrong way.

[Howlan]

Personally, I'm a big fan of first person narration. And if the switch between two first person narration ks made efficiently, it can prove to be quite an interesting read. Overall, the author managed the switch in this book very effectively. There was only one part in the book when the switch seemed a bit confusing. The part where Adam hurt Carly with a ball, I was a bit confused as to if there was a switch or something else.

I personally prefer when first person narration remains constant throughout. However, if done right switch between the characters is also good.

[Howlan]

The first person always works better when one wants to tap into the character's mind. But the problem is that it is not omniscient. That's where the third person narration comes in.

I think this book would have been better with the third person as the character perspective switch was quite confusing.

[Howlan]

I agree that Adam's passages/sections seemed to possess more of a raw resonance. Perhaps Carly, as a character, just wasn't intended to display the same depth of emotional volatility and fluctuation, but a third-person narration would have been just as efficient I think.

Yes, Adam had a complex character. However, Carly was very straightforward.

[Nym182]

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?

Hmm that is a great question!

One of the cons of a first-person narrative is the narrative can be unreliable because you are seeing things filtered through their perception... but you gain greater in-depth knowledge of the person's who POV it is.

I do think it was interesting to see things through each of their POVs but the issue I had was the POVs were very fluid... You never really knew whos POV you were in and I feel like it even switched from Carly to Adam mid chapter.

I do think it would not have been better in a third-person narrative.

I agree. I love first person because we get such a great look into their thoughts. But It can make things confusing when it's not clear where the shifts happen. I wish that was shown a bit more clearly in this case I had to re-read a few things just to see ok am I Carly or Adam?

Right! I am all about shifting perspective... just not when it shifts mid-paragraph haha

[Howlan]

Hmm that is a great question!

One of the cons of a first-person narrative is the narrative can be unreliable because you are seeing things filtered through their perception... but you gain greater in-depth knowledge of the person's who POV it is.

I do think it was interesting to see things through each of their POVs but the issue I had was the POVs were very fluid... You never really knew whos POV you were in and I feel like it even switched from Carly to Adam mid chapter.

I do think it would not have been better in a third-person narrative.

I agree. I love first person because we get such a great look into their thoughts. But It can make things confusing when it's not clear where the shifts happen. I wish that was shown a bit more clearly in this case I had to re-read a few things just to see ok am I Carly or Adam?

Right! I am all about shifting perspective... just not when it shifts mid-paragraph haha

There should be some kind of label for separating the narration of different persons. Otherwise, it will be confusing to read.