15.8 - From a Different Perspective

[Cindy AL]

First I apologize Kristi, for asking so many questions about this challenge, I'm trying to work some older books in, thanks for your patience. Would this work -
In the Night Garden

I read the Goodreads description of this book and it doesn't really describe how it has shifting perspectives. Some of the review people have posted explain the book a little better.

It is loosely based on Scherazade. There is a setup about a girl in the garden who is a storyteller. She begins telling a story to the other main character, a little boy, but then a character in her tale starts telling another story, etc, until you are about 4 layers deep from the original two characters. I read a little of it about 2 years ago, and have wanted to come back at a time when I can really pay attention, the POV is difficult to follow.

[Kristina Simon]

Cindy AL wrote: "First I apologize Kristi, for asking so many questions about this challenge, I'm trying to work some older books in, thanks for your patience. Would this work -
In the Night Garden
..."

That sounds like it will work just fine. Just explain how the POVs shift when you post your completed task.

[RedSycamore]

Just to make sure would anything written in 'third person multiple' perspective work?

(From wikipedia: limits narration to what can be known, seen, thought, or judged from a single character's perspective at a time (the point of view character), but changes that point of view character many times during the piece)

[Kristina Simon]

Rachel Renee wrote: "Just to make sure would anything written in 'third person multiple' perspective work?

(From wikipedia: limits narration to what can be known, seen, thought, or judged from a single character's per..."

As long as there are multiple perspectives, yes.

[Dee]

just to check (i'm not feeling Mr Darcy right now) - Bloodroot from the description - novel is told in a kaleidoscope of seamlessly woven voices

I picked it up at the library because it fit Gayla's task, but I found several to use there...and this one looks like it fits here...

[Kristina Simon]

Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "just to check (i'm not feeling Mr Darcy right now) - Bloodroot from the description - novel is told in a kaleidoscope of seamlessly woven voices"

From the excerpt, it looks like it will work just fine.

[N.]

Would The Virgin Suicides work? The book is narrated in first-person plural-- that is, the narrator is "we," which is certainly unusual for narrative fiction.

[Kristina Simon]

Nonodisco wrote: "Would The Virgin Suicides work? The book is narrated in first-person plural-- that is, the narrator is "we," which is certainly unusual for narrative fiction."

Yes, first-person plural was approved in message #22.

[N.]

Oops, must have skimmed over that one :) Thanks!

[Joy Marie]

Would The Lovely Bones work for this since it is told from the perspective of a dead girl?

[Kristina Simon]

Joy Marie wrote: "Would The Lovely Bones work for this since it is told from the perspective of a dead girl?"

Yes.

[Melanie]

Would The Girl Who Played Go work?
The viewpoint switches from the Mandchurian girl's to the Japanese soldier's every chapter..

[Kristina Simon]

Melanie wrote: "Would The Girl Who Played Go work?
The viewpoint switches from the Mandchurian girl's to the Japanese soldier's every chapter.."

Yes, that will work. Just mention the changing perspective when you post your completed task (just makes it easier for the record-keeper ;o)).

[Jennifer N.]

Would Super Sad True Love Story work? Narration appears to be alternating between two people one of which is diary entries and the other letters.

[Kristina Simon]

Jennifer N. wrote: "Would Super Sad True Love Story work? Narration appears to be alternating between two people one of which is diary entries and the other letters."

Yes, that would work.

[Kate]

Would Bel Canto work? I vaguely remember someone telling me about some literary device used to get past the problem of the characters speaking different languages, but I haven't read it and I can't find anything on it. Can anyone who's read it help me out?

[kiki]

Kate wrote: "Would Bel Canto work? I vaguely remember someone telling me about some literary device used to get past the problem of the characters speaking different languages, but I haven't read it..."

i've read it, and it's told through omniscient third person. i can't think of any literary device used to address the different languages. she used an interpreter as a character to deal with that. it's a lovely book, though, hope you can fit it in somewhere! :)

[Kate]

kiki wrote: "Kate wrote: "Would Bel Canto work? I vaguely remember someone telling me about some literary device used to get past the problem of the characters speaking different languages, but I ha..."

Ok, I guess I was thinking of something else. Thanks for quick response, Kiki.

[Rosemary]

Bel Canto fits task 10.1, it's been confirmed on the help thread for that task.

[Pinky_rocks]

Would Destiny and Desire: A Novel work? It's told by a decapitated head.

[Kristina Simon]

Pinky_rocks wrote: "Would Destiny and Desire: A Novel work? It's told by a decapitated head."

LOL....... A decapitated head is certainly a different perspective so, yes, it would work.

[Ms.soule]

Would Cat by Freya North work for this? The Goodreads description doesn't explain, but several main characters have interviews with the narrator throughout the book and the various chapters start with the news articles the heroine reporter writes.

[Kristina Simon]

Mrs.soule wrote: "Would Cat by Freya North work for this? The Goodreads description doesn't explain, but several main characters have interviews with the narrator throughout the book and the various c..."

Unless the interviews and articles make up a majority of the book, I don't think this is going to work. Sorry!

[Ms.soule]

No problem - I can use it for task 15.8! How about A Conspiracy of Kings? The first half of this book is one character explaining to another what happened to him while they were apart, so when he gets to parts of the story when she was around he goes into what I think is second person, i.e. "You were wearing that blue dress and I wondered what you thinking as I spoke..." etc. The last half is a third-person narrative that jumps between all four main characters' perspectives. Then the last few chapters are back to that first/second person narrative where the hero is recounting his version of the tale to the girl again, including parts where she's in the story as "you".

[Kristina Simon]

Mrs.soule wrote: "No problem - I can use it for task 15.8! How about A Conspiracy of Kings? The first half of this book is one character explaining to another what happened to him while they were apa..."

I checked out the preview on Google books and it looks like the first part (and I guess the 3rd part as well) is written in 1st person narrative. If the narrator is speaking to another character when he says "You were wearing that blue dress and I wondered what you thinking as I spoke..." etc., it would still be considered 1st person. Second-person narration is when the narrator addresses the reader as "you."

If the middle part is told from 4 different people's perspective, however, that would work as long as this part comprises at least 1/2 the book.

[Ms.soule]

I think it did, but it's hard to tell - I had this in an e-book. Anyone else have a hard copy? If not, I'll try to find one at the library and get back to you!

[Casey]

I wanted to double-check on Dog by Daniel Pennac. It's written in third person, but it's from the dog's perspective.

[Kristina Simon]

Casey wrote: "I wanted to double-check on Dog by Daniel Pennac. It's written in third person, but it's from the dog's perspective."

From the dog's perspective works.

[Cindy AL]

I started this one for a different task, but does it fit here? It is written as blog entries with some posted replies to the blog entries:
Allison Hewitt Is Trapped: A Zombie Novel

It is in a narrative, but as a blog.

[Kristina Simon]

Cindy AL wrote: "I started this one for a different task, but does it fit here? It is written as blog entries with some posted replies to the blog entries:
Allison Hewitt Is Trapped: A Zombie Novel
..."

Yes, that would work. Looks good, too!

[Cindy AL]

Yay! I stayed up late last night and finished it, it was good.

[Amanda]

Would Crank work? It's written in verse, kind of like poetry. It's strange and hard to describe.

[Kristina Simon]

Amanda Pearl wrote: "Would Crank work? It's written in verse, kind of like poetry. It's strange and hard to describe."

Novels in verse will work.

[TeresaFL]

I just read The Ship in the Hill since I won it on First Reads and was wondering if it would fit this challenge. It flips between the excavation in 1904 and the Viking queen who might have been buried in it 100 years earlier.

[Kristina Simon]

TeresaFL wrote: "I just read The Ship in the Hill since I won it on First Reads and was wondering if it would fit this challenge. It flips between the excavation in 1904 and the Viking queen who migh..."

That works.

[Amanda]

Would Abandon work? It's a modern interpretation of the story of Persephone and Hades.

[Kristina Simon]

Amanda Pearl wrote: "Would Abandon work? It's a modern interpretation of the story of Persephone and Hades."

Yes, that works.