I've been playing around with a story. I know pretty much how the story is going to unfold, but... You knew there was a but, didn't you? But one of the character's voices keeps talking to me, pulling at me. I love the sing-song sound of her voice but she's what you might call an unreliable narrator and not the PI I had envisioned telling this story. And the truth is, I can't remember ever using an unreliable narrator to tell a story and wondered if there are any preset expectations from readers of this type of story. Do you as readers like this type of story, or do you feel cheated in some way when you've finished?
Recently I read Megan Abbott's "The End of Everything" whose narrator tells you everything, but in reality tells you nothing. Her memories as the story unfolds turn out not to be what she thought they were. But then everyone's memories are different so each teller of the same story has a different view of what happened. Having finished the story, I still can't shake the feeling that I've missed something important.
"Soft Monkey" by Harlan Ellison tells the story from a homeless woman's point of view but she's living in a past that doesn't exist anymore. This one worked for me because you don't know until the twisted end that she's trying to do in the present what she failed to do in the past.
Fredric Brown's "Don't Look Behind You" unfolds the story from the POV of a man who tells you that you're going die when you finish reading the story he's written down. I loved how this story unfolded and the madness of the narrator, but telling me I'm going to die when I know that's not true didn't really work for me.
And "The Payoff" by Stanley Ellin has a narrator who makes you believe he's been forced into killing someone, but the ending? Sends chills up your back when you realize that he's not to be trusted. The totally twisted ending of this story worked on so many levels it was scary.
These were just a few stories I could think of off the top of my head with unreliable narrators. Can you think of others? And did you love how the author told the story or did you feel tricked?
4 comments:
The Payoff is one of my all time fave stories. Of course the main character isnt narrating, but i know what you mean. The most famous UN story may be Poe's telltale heart.
Gash's Lovejoy seems like the only example of a serial unreliable narrator. He is sof wrapped up in self justification he cant keep track of the truth.
Oh, what about jim thompson's Pop 1280? Very creepy story.
I generally prefer ( and have writen several) unknon narrator stories - tales in which the reader only knows what people say about the narrator. See Jack Ritchie's "the -Absence of Emily."
You're right, Rob, he isn't narrating, but the story is told from his POV. I hadn't really thought about there being a difference between having a single narrator and using a single POV.
I'd forgotten about "The Telltale Heart"! Excellent choice and I'll have to find your other choices as I haven't read any of those.
The only Thompson I ever read was "Bad Boy" and I'm afraid that didn't impress me enough to look for more of his work.
Speaking of Poe, my favorite UR of his is "The Cask of Amontillado." When i teach it, I have the students write overnight a couple paragraphs about what they read. Then the next day ... I point out that "almost all of us support the narrator and I want you on my jury because you just became an accomplice to a murderer!" Classic!
It takes a gifted writer to make that UN beloved by the reader, Fred, and it's what makes that type of story work so well.
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