The Next Best Book Club discussion

Reeommendations? Thanks.

Umm... I'm not sure what you're looking for here. Can you clarify? Are you looking for narrators who are unreliable characters or who are not adept at telling the story, or something else entirely?

I honestly felt like Humbert was an unreliable narrator in Lolita. And The Things They Carried..he keeps saying this is a true story yet he talks about things aren't true in the book.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd?

Becky wrote: "Umm... I'm not sure what you're looking for here. Can you clarify? Are you looking for narrators who are unreliable characters or who are not adept at telling the story, or something else entirely?"

I mean narrators who are unreliable characters.

Thanks!

I'd definitely have to second Humbert Humbert.

The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger
I would say no to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd because I think the point is more the mystery than the narration.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

Those all have what I would consider unreliable narrator, although it might depend on how loosely you interpret "unreliable."

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I also consider The Haunting of Hill House to have an unreliable narrator as well, even if it is written in third person.

You should try The Lace Reader, Brunonia Barry - the narrator is very upfront about being unreliable. I though the book was great.

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes. Another narrator who's upfront about being unreliable.

But then, doesn't that make him reliable? :D

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Fight Club A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (although I wouldn't personally recommend that one :oP ).

Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates. Actually, a lot of Oates books have unreliable narrators. My Sister, My Love The Intimate Story of Skyler Rampike is another one that comes to mind.


Lying A Metaphorical Memoir By Lauren Slater. It's a 'memoir' about her epilepsy/uncontrollable lying. Great book.


Despair. Another great book.

An Instance of the Fingerpost A Novel struck me as having unreliable narrators.

Amy wrote: "But then, doesn't that make him reliable? :D"

Hmmm, yes and no? :)

Grace said, "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski"

Boy do I agree with that. I had no idea what he was talking about. He tells us things in a way that is totally unclear.