First person novels have a unique, spell-binding charm of their own. Isn’t it interesting almost thrilling to know the story from a specific individual’s perspective? It is like directly witnessing the events, almost like living it, but ofcourse through someone else’s body. First person POV narratives are popular in the world of literature and cinema. Now, a lot of contemporary fiction is also structured and narrates in a similar way. But can you actually trust these narrators? Isn’t their version of the story tainted and molded by their beliefs, ideologies and needs?
Well, here are five highly unreliable narrators from the story world!
A culmination of horror and satire, Mark Danielewski’s debut novel ‘House of Leaves’ is an interesting piece of postmodern literature. The format in which this book has been written is in itself amusing- replete with footnotes and flowcharts. The story begins with the narration of Johnny Truant, who is in search of a new apartment. He finds out about an empty apartment that has recently been vacant owing to the death of its last inhabitant Zampano. The story then shifts to being told in the form of research that Zampano had done about a documentary film. These notes are found by Johnny. The perspective constantly keeps shifting as Truant’s mother is also a narrator in some parts of the story. With each narrator’s perspective the story takes different angles, and it is extremely difficult to rely on Truant or anyone else’s account.
One of the most brutal books with unreliable narrators, ‘Allegedly’ is the story of a sixteen year old girl, Mary Addison. After having spent her life in a prison for juveniles, Mary has been sent to a group home for teens. Having served her term for allegedly killing a baby, Mary’s story stands out as a reflection of the flaws in the legal system. To complicate Mary’s life further, she is expecting a child and while the system wants her to get rid of it, Mary wants to keep the baby. It might come off as a brutal read but one that is totally worth the difficulty to go through reading it. Mary is a confused, scared, at times an absolutely unreliable narrator.
With an elaborate title, Haddon’s novel is a classic mystery tale. Unfolding with a first person narrative, the story is told from the point of view of Christopher Boone. Boone is a fifteen year old teen with a high-functioning autism making his life difficult. Very interesting in its chapter naming scheme, ‘The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time’ unravels the event of Wellington’s death. Wellington, a dog, who belonged to one of Boone’s neighbors- Mrs. Shears, is found dead under absurd circumstances. The investigation of the dog’s death leads Boone to discovering secrets he could never have imagined about.
From the mastermind of psych-thrillers, ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ is one of the best books with unreliable narrators. It unfolds the story of the misfortune of the Blackwood family who lost most of their members in an unfortunate event for which Constance Blackwood is blamed. Uncle Julian, Merricat and Constance, now live together in the Blackwood home, shunned by the rest of the village. The story is told from Mary Katherine Blackwood or Merricat’s perspective, which at times is extremely believable and yet raises significant doubts about her feelings towards her deceased family.
For Hercule Poirot fans, this book with an unreliable narrator is a treat to read! When Poirot finally decides to retire, he visits his friend Roger Ackroyd in the village. Poirot takes upon a vegetable project to pursue in his retirement. But when Roger is found murdered in his home at Fernly Park, after a dinner with his family, Hercule is requested by Flora, Roger’s sister-in-law’s daughter, to investigate Ackroyd’s murder. The story is narrated by the ignorant and narrow-minded Dr. James Sheppard, who assists Poirot in his investigation, for Roger Ackroyd’s murder mystery.
Also Read: Must-Read Books by Agatha Christie
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