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The best and worst examples of First Person Narrative?

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:39 am
by suitefrancaise
I was wondering what people have read that uses first person narrative well. I love it when an author knows how to use the technique - when it is absorbing and fascinating being in the mind of a particular character with a distinct voice. At the moment the market seems to be bombarded with masses of books using FP narrative, especially in the overpopulated YA section. It's hard to pick the good out of the bad.

Some of my favourite picks are:
March by Geraldine Brooks
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Does anyone have any examples of excellent novels using FP narrative well? Or novels that don't use it so well, for that matter? Please answer, as I'm very interested in this difficult narrative structure, and am planning to write a paper on its various benefits and disadvantages as a writer and a reader.

Re: The best and worst examples of First Person Narrative?

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:22 pm
by NotaBene
Hi,
May I suggest novels by Siri Hustvedt ? Such as The Sorrows Of An American and What I loved .

Re: The best and worst examples of First Person Narrative?

Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:21 pm
by suitefrancaise
Thanks, I'll definitely take a look at those. Sounds very interesting!