Cass as a character

[Jbiedz]

What do we think of Cass as a character/narrator? Is she a reliable narrator?

[Carolyn]

I think Cass is a really odd choice for a narrator. I thought that someone should of described what was happening to Cass rather than Cass being the narrator herself. I don't feel that she is completely reliable given the fact that she is always on drugs. She does some really questionable things as well. And on Page one Cass says " I saw things that other people didn't see". So in my opinion that raises some question about what she says is real or just something she just sees.

[Haley]

I agree with Carolyn here that Cass is really odd choice for a narrator. I think it is brave of Elizabeth Hand to choose such a character who is so distraught and a mess. I don't believe it's very often you come across a novel that is narrated by someone on drugs and constantly drinking and flaunting herself around. Personally, this is the first book I've read with such a character. I feel like authors often choose characters like Cass as the characters the readers look at from a distance. Usually the main character is the one who is "normal" and has a relationship with the character like Cass.
I'm torn as to whether or not she is a reliable narrator now that I think of it. Cass is always on drugs or drinking as Carolyn pointed out, however deep down she has a lot to her. For example, she may not come right out and say it, but is obvious even in the first couple chapters of the novel that she is extremely passionate about photography. Although she may not always be sober when taking pictures, she always gives deep thought to each picture she takes.
With Carolyn's quote "I saw things that other people didn't see," I don't necessarily believe that means what she says is real or something she just sees, but rather I think Cass meant that she has a knack for being observant and aware of what and who is around her. I think she meant something a lot deeper by "seeing" things, like seeing right through people and seeing the true nature of others that other people may not take the time to identify.

[Jbiedz]

I think that Cass is an interesting character and an even more interesting choice as a narrator. Her character reminds me somewhat of Lisbeth Salander from Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, if anyone's seen the movies/read the books. An androgynous woman with violent, self destructive tendencies who is incredibly, as Cass puts it many times "damaged." With any narrator, their opinions and perceptions will be shaped by their own life experience, and I think Cass's lens is unusual and interesting. Her world weariness shapes the narrative, making me as a reader feel aggravated and mistrustful of the characters Cass encounters, just as she is. I do not think, however, that Cass is always the most reliable narrator. Cass thrives on people and situations that are "bleak" or "damaged," so that's what she seeks when interacting with the other characters or observing new surroundings. It gives a twist on the events and other characters that may not even be there. Such as the way she's immediately wary of Gryffin when she meets him and snoops in his hotel room, only to find just nothing out of the ordinary.