Wednesday 22 September 2010

Pop Quiz, Hotshot!

I don’t have a huge amount to say at the moment as my brain is well and truly frazzled trying to finish The Steel Walk (whilst also trying to fend off the part of my brain that really wants to be writing the next book now)…

On a subject vaguely related to the as yet untitled November project, I have a question for you: what is your favourite example of the First Person narrative in a book?*

*I would probably nominate everything Michael Marshall Smith has ever done, but no surprise there...

4 comments:

  1. I've always had a fond spot for Espedair Street, by Iain Banks. The narration of the gormless, lanky, self-conscious, self-flagellating main character really makes the book for me.

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  2. Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series. Phedre, not Imriel, because she's just basically amazing. Also the Dresden Files - Harry is fantastic to read!

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  3. I dislike books written in the first person, they seem to me to be awkward to get into the story when reading. I choose to not read them when visiting the library.

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  4. @Andrew - Ah, I forgot about Iain Banks! I can't remember now if I've read Espedair Street, but I did go through a big Banks period when I was a teenager, and that was all I'd read for a while. Isn't Crow Road in the first person too? He really is a good example of how FP can convey a strong character.

    @Kallichore - I just recently finished reading Storm Front, and I was very impressed with Harry; he is so immediately likeable (and funny, which always helps). I've had the Carey series recommended to me before, funnily enough, so I guess I should give it a go!

    @Sandra- I can be put off by it too, when it's done poorly. Sometimes I think it can be used as a bit of a "cheat", where a writer doesn't have to worry about more than one viewpoint.

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