{"id":310,"date":"2020-11-20T10:03:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-20T10:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=310"},"modified":"2025-05-09T20:46:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T19:46:53","slug":"the-unreliable-narrator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/the-unreliable-narrator\/","title":{"rendered":"The Unreliable Narrator: All You Need To Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this article we will break down all you need to know about the unreliable narrator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contains spoilers!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re going to figure out who the unreliable narrator is and how using one will impact your story. We\u2019ll discuss the different types of unreliable narrators at your disposal, and how to choose which one is right for you. We\u2019ll also dissect some real-life examples \u2013 what type of unreliable narrator was used and how did they impact the storyline?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all: this is intended as a practical guide for writers wanting to explore one of the richest and most enjoyable writing approaches of them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But first, the basics. A definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unreliable Narrator Definition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What does unreliable narrator mean? An unreliable narrator can be defined as any narrator who misleads readers, either deliberately or unwittingly. Many are unreliable through circumstances, character flaws or psychological difficulties. In some cases, a narrator withholds key information from readers, or they may deliberately lie or misdirect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the term is fairly new \u2013 it was first used by literary critic Wayne C Booth in 1961 \u2013 unreliable narrator examples date back hundreds of years. Medieval poet and chronicler Geoffrey Chaucer used various unreliable narrators in The Canterbury Tales<\/em>, for example the bragging and exaggerating Wife of Bath<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Shakespearean characters could also be described as unreliable. Could we trust Hamlet, in his grief and paranoia, to tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In modern writing, unreliable narrators feature frequently in crime and thriller books, but the technique can be used to withhold information and surprise readers of any genre, as the many thousands of readers who enjoyed romantic suspense The Man Who Didn\u2019t Call<\/em> by Rosie Walsh can testify. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unreliable narrator usually tells the story in first person, but there are notable exceptions to this such as Agatha Christie\u2019s And Then There Were None<\/em> which uses limited third person. The world\u2019s bestselling mystery novel uses an unknown narrator who shows us the numerous points of view of the potential killers (and victims) trapped on an island. <\/p>\n\n\n\r\n