Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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41: A book with an unreliable narrator
I am reading Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. I looked on one of the Unreliable Narratir lists to see if this book was on it because I was starting to feel that she may not be reliable! The book is very unusual and it's not clear what is real and what is not. I don't think knowing that the narrator is unreliable ruins the story because there is such a strong element of uncertainty in the book. You don't know whose, if any, perspective is correct.
I just finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman and this book definitely fits this category.
- What are you reading this week? I read Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No.... I think the story had its own problems beyond that issue.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) The book is really a philosophical tract disguised as a novel...using a very confused narrator as its vehicle.
I didn't particularly like it. I suppose you had to be there. (That is..in Russia when these issues of free will, etc. were current.)
- What are you reading this week? The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? Not at all. I think unreliable narrators can be fascinating.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) Well, I'm only about halfway done with it, but there are several things that make him unreliable. I don't know if these are really spoilers, but I'll cut it anyway: (view spoiler)
- What are you reading this week?More Than This by Patrick Ness
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
The only thing I know is that the narrator doesn't know what the f*** happens and me neither, so no, it's quite exciting to discover what's what with him.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
He doesn't know what's happening to him.
Progress Post:- What are you reading this week?
by Paul Tremblay- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?No. It makes it more exciting I think.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) The narrator is a twenty something year old that is remembering something that occurred in her life when she was seven. So, you wouldn't necessary think she would see things clearly, since she is remembering through the eyes of child.
- What are you reading this week?The Remains of the Day
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
Absolutely not, the MC has a fascinating personality, he is an introvert and, I think, even a touch of autism. He has difficulties relating to others and showing emotions.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
His personality leads his to a peculiar view of the events in his life. The narration is devoid of emotion but it is obvious to the reader that things are just not the way the MC sees them.
- What are you reading this week?Dear Mr. M
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I actually didn't really know until I started reading it. I got lucky because I wasn't sure it would fit in my challenge.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
For the first part of the book you can't even really be sure who one of the narrators is, then once you do know it is still unsure if he is the bad guy or not.
What are you reading this week?We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley JacksonDid knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I'm just starting the book. I don't think knowing the narrator is unreliable will ruin the story. I'll just be on the lookout for what I think is unreliable.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
Will report back after I finish.
What are you reading this week?Midnight Lily by Mia Sheridan
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I didn't know that the narrator was unreliable until I was reading the book.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) Hard to say without ruining the whole story and all of the twists and turns within it but (view spoiler)
What are you reading this week?I read The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry.
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruing the story for you?
Although I was told on page one, by the narrator, herself, that she was unreliable, it was difficult to tell what was real and what wasn't. It didn't ruin the story. Rather, it added to the unpredictability and intrigue.
What made the narrator unreliable? I don't trust my ability to use the spoiler tag yet, so I don't want to reveal this for readers who may want to enjoy the journey for themselves.
- What are you reading this week? We Were Liars- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? Absolutely not!
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) "And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE."
What are you reading this week?I read Challenger Deep
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
You figure it out pretty quick, and it's kind of the whole basis of the story, so definitely not.
What made the narrator unreliable?
Caden has really vivid hallucinations that make up more than half the story. Not really a spoiler, as it becomes super obvious like two chapters in.
- What are you reading this week?Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I didn't know it before reading the book, but if I had known it I don't think it would have ruin the story, because in a thriller things seldom are what they seem to be.
- What made the narrator unreliable?
The narrator is a homeless young woman who happens to be the spitting image of a missing girl, Rebecca Winter. She takes this opportunity and claims to be Rebecca, to resume a normal life among "normal" people... But of course everything is not so normal, strange things begin to happen and the narrator doesn't interpret correctly some events or some reactions ...
- What are you reading this week? Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No, knowing the end would have ruined the story.
- What made the narrator unreliable? Because she didn't know the truth about what was going on when she was younger.
Progress Post:- What are you reading this week? The Butterfly Garden
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No, looking at the unreliable narrator list I read and enjoy a lot from this genre
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) I guess because the investigators suspected she was holding back. Personally, I don't think that's a good definition of unreliable
What are you reading this week?Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I haven't started, but all I know is that the book has some mystery to it, so knowing the narrator is unreliable doesn't spoil it for me.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
I'm not sure yet.
- What are you reading this week?
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware - Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No, that is what makes it a mystery. You are trying to figure it out along with the narrator.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) The fact she wakes up in the hospital with the knowledge someone is dead and wonders what have a done. Memory loss definitely makes a narrator unreliable.
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What are you reading this week?The Asylum Matt Dymerski( reading )- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?No
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) you don't know who's telling the story.
What are you reading this week? The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it makes it more intriguing, and unsettling.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
She could be mentally ill (seeing things).
- What are you reading this week? Wuthering Heights- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? I don't think so. I'm not sure yet.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) I'm only two chapters in but from what I read about the book Lockwood is recounting the story through a servant.
What are you reading this week?More Than This by Patrick Ness
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, I just wanted to find out more about what was going on
What made the narrator unreliable?
He doesn't know where he is or what has happened
What are you reading this week?
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it actually kept me guessing, what's real and what's not real.
What made the narrator unreliable?
She has schizophrenia, so some things she saw and experienced were delusions.
I read The Girl on the Train. I didn't decide which category this fit into until I read it ( it fits several) as I didn't want to read something where I knew the narrator was unreliable.I don't think knowing would always spoil a book and it wouldn't actually have spoiled this book to know (but will hide next part just in case!)
(view spoiler)
- What are you reading this week?Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it is already mentioned on the back of the book. And the story is written from her perspective so you know the same as her.
- What made the narrator unreliable?
Her dementia
-What are you reading this week? The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) drinking and blackouts
- What are you reading this week?The Silver Linings Playbook
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, ironically, it actually enhanced it
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
Just released from a mental hospital with some memory loss
What are you reading this week?The Woman in Cabin 10
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
Her storyline went from possible to a bit crazy
What are you reading this week? Wuthering Heights byEmily Brontë.- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No, I think in any story, no matter how truthful a person tries to be, the story is still unreliable, as everyone has a different view of what happened being filtered through a different screen.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) As I have just begun the book, I am not certain...exept that it is natural and normal .
The Antagon its by Lynn Coady
i didn't know the story had an unreliable narrator before beginning. but as I'm reading I've figured that I'm getting only one side of the story.
- What are you reading this week?The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
To be determined
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
I haven't read enough yet to answer this question either.
- What are you reading this week?I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it made it more interesting.
- What made the narrator unreliable?
It hide information.
What are you reading this week? More Than ThisDid knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No, it actually made it more interesting.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) He doesn't know what is happening to him (view spoiler)
What are you reading this week?The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I actually did not know much about this story before I started reading it.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
Well it's not in first person, so I guess the narrator is not particularly "unreliable" as the general viewpoints from the characters are. I had a hard time telling exactly how bad the mental state of the protagonist was from the viewpoints of the first two characters. And I had absolutely no idea that the (view spoiler) were all about until the very end.
What are you reading this week?The last of us by Rob Ewing
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it built suspense.
What made the narrator unreliable?
She was very young and didn't always understand what she was seeing. Her memory was affected by events and that limited her narration.
- What are you reading this week?Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
I'm not sure.
- What are you reading this week? Every Last Lie- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? I am just getting started but don't think it will be an issue.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) The narrators are a wife and husband. Just getting started so can't say for sure but I believe the husband dies with the wife thinking he is good husband but then in searching for the truth uncovers his lies.
What are you reading this week?Made You Up
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it was known upfront that she would be unreliable and that was a huge part of what made the story work the way it did.
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
She has schizophrenia. I don't think spoiler tags are needed since this is revealed pretty much immediately in the book, not to mention in the blurb and the Goodreads summary.
What are you reading this week?
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?It did not.
What made the narrator unreliable? He was only really unreliable in the sense that he was a small child so his understanding of the things going on around him were limited and naive.
What are you reading this week?Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
I did not know in advance that the narrator was unreliable, so no!
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
(view spoiler)
What are you reading this week?Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No. The blurb on the book made that obvious
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
Lack of memory
- What are you reading this week?Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, even she states that she's unreliable early on.
- What made the narrator unreliable?
The book is written as journal that she is keeping for her job, so she admittedly excludes information that she might not want to share with her superiors and also downplays some occurrences until they become more problematic.
What are you reading this week?The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
Not at all. Sometimes that is the fun of it!
What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!) Oskar tells his story as he resides as a patient in a mental ward, often referring to himself in the third person. He halted his growth at the age of three, has supernatural glass shattering abilities and obsessively beats a drum.
What are you reading this week?House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, it's pretty much the premise of the whole book, and you're told up front.
What made the narrator unreliable?
One "portion" is an academic text by a blind man about a film that doesn't exist and the other "portion" is footnotes from a total deadbeat who became fascinated with it.
Progress Post:- What are you reading this week? The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you? No
- What made the narrator unreliable? Her own version of the truth. She was going by what she knew and it wasn't the truth for everyone else.
- What are you reading this week?House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
Nope not at all
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
Well there's sort of 2 narrators. One is blind and the other seems to be losing his sanity.
Progress Post:- What are you reading this week?
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No, there are several narrators that are all unreliable due to the fact that they are thieves.
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)
They are teenagers that have all had shady pasts and are part of a gang. They all hold their own secrets and motives. The author does a good job of keeping you guessing as to whether the motives of each character are moral (or as close to moral as thieves can get) or not.
I read The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
What are you reading this week?City of Thieves
Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
No
What made the narrator unreliable?
The actual narrator is a writer who is writing his Grandfather's story for a project. The Grandfather actually tells him to make some of it up :)
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Summer House with Swimming Pool (other topics)The Blind Assassin (other topics)
John Dies at the End (other topics)
Code Name Verity (other topics)
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Herman Koch (other topics)Margaret Atwood (other topics)
David Wong (other topics)
Elizabeth Wein (other topics)
Riley Sager (other topics)
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For those reading in order: October 9 – October 15, 2017
Suggestions for this category: link
To discuss the book, don't forget to add it in the A-Z folders or join the existing discussion. Please, don't discuss the book here.
Progress Post:
- What are you reading this week?
- Did knowing that the narrator was unreliable ruin the story for you?
- What made the narrator unreliable? (Make sure to use the spoilers tag if needed for your response!)