First person / Third person

[Echo]

One of the most remarkable First Person books has to be Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The story is written from the perspective of the Native American inmate Chief Bromden, who is little more than an obscure bystander when looked at from the other character's perspective. Still, his presence and unique narration in the story is what gives it such poignance and power at the same time.

 

I agree! The perspective in that book almost seemed to be a mix between the subjective first person and the omniscient third person, because none of the characters knew that Chief Broom knew anything about what was going on. They could be more real and candid.

[Oblomov]

I agree! The perspective in that book almost seemed to be a mix between the subjective first person and the omniscient third person, because none of the characters knew that Chief Broom knew anything about what was going on. They could be more real and candid.

 

As I said before, that perspective is one area where the movie fails to match the book. Milos Foreman does his best, as does the award winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler (who had done Medium Cool a few years earlier) by often keeping the camera in the Chief's viewpoint as it follows McMurphy around, but it does not quite work the same way as in the book.

 

Having said that, the one scene where Foreman & Wexler pulled it off brilliantly - even better than the book - was the chewing gum "thank you" sequence.

[dex]

First person is , I went down the shops, I pulled out a gun and I robbed waterstones of their top 10. Third person is ,Dex went down the shops, dex pulled out a gun, and dex robbed waterstones of their top ten. Dex prefers Third person books.

[emelee]

Third person.

Also, if I were to write myself, I tend to write in third person.

 

I like it when the narrator is an all-knowing "ghost" who knows what everyone are feeling and thinking, but concentrates mostly on the main character.

[lauraloves]

i prefer reading in the third person but i cannot stand it when people talk about themselves in the third person!

[frankwasalreadytaken]

I prefer 1st person book. All my favourite books are written in 1st person, maybe I prefer living the adventures with the personage of the book rather than just reading 'em. Could it be true? idk

[Alexander the Great]

I personally don't really understand people who don't read books written in first person out of some kind of principle. You could be missing out on so many great books!

 

I don't really care either way - the plot, the characters and the setting matter to me, not the POV. While writing a story from first person only can be very limiting, it can also make the story more interesting.

[bimblebee]

I prefer books written in the first person - it seems to draw the reader in more. I really love the way Julie Myerson writes: she uses mainly first person (although in one of her books part of it is written in the second person 'you' which I found intriguing).

[Devi]

As long as the book is good, I don't mind if it's in first or third person. : )

[bookmonkey]

I don't really have a preference. I'll read either. What I hate is when a book switches between which characters perspective it is, but doesn't do it clearly. I tried to read one recently that sometimes changed with the chapters, but not everytime, and most of the time you'd get halfway through a chapter before you realised it was from someone elses perspective. That was so annoying I gave up, and it could have been a good story.

[Kreader]

I have no prefference. I can enjoy both. Sometimes first person is purposely used to limit the amount of information given and it is suitable for that. Third person can give an omniscient view if thats how the writer wants to tell their story.

[anisia]

I prefer third person, but I wouldn't not read a book just because it's first person.

[Amelie]

Interesting point, I had never really expressed an opinion. I guess this means I don't mind, as long as the book is well written and that the person used (first or third, whatever it may be) is not bothering me as I read, then I don't think I have a preference.

[SteveScaffardi]

I'm one of those in the non-preference camp, although I do agree that if the author writes in the first person they need to get it spot on. If the reader doesn't like the character in a first person novel then you obviously have a problem!

 

@lovesreading06 - first person is when the wole story is told from one characters perspective. With third person, the writer is telling the story as if they are watching on themselves, so it gives them flexibility to tell the story from all the characters perspectives. You also have second person which is when the writer makes 'you' the main character.

 

I think that is correct anyway!

 

Ooops! I didn't realise this had gone over two pages and someone had already answered lovesreading06's question! Schoolboy error!!!

[Anna Begins]

*bump*  Some of us were having this discussion- anyone want to?  We have a lot of different members now than in 2007 and 2012.  Does anyone prefer 1st person over 3rd?  I'm really being attracted more and more to 1st person narratives, they are harder to find though, for some reason.  I guess it is easier to write in 3rd? 

What do you all prefer?

[dex]

I know I've said it before, but third person or as Simon Kernick pointed out to me First person with Named characters. E.g. Severed by Simon Kernick.

 

'You wake up in a strange room on a bed covered in blood.

You have no idea how you got there.

Beside you is a dead girl. Your girlfriend.

The phone rings , and a voice tells you to press play on the rooms dvd.'

 

There's enough mentions of who's doing things for me not to lose track.

 

I hate 'I' Books, any suggestions of people who write 'Bob' books appreciated.

Edited September 4, 2014 by dex

[Athena]

I'm not too keen on first person. As a child I couldn't read books in first person because I thought it meant I was doing those things and I wasn't so it confused me and I couldn't read even beyond page 1. Nowadays I can read books in first person but I prefer a third person narrative (I mind it less if the book is written as letters, emails or diary form). But to each their own, of course .

[frankie]

I think in general, without giving this too much thought at the moment, I'm more keen on the first person narrative I feel closer to the characters that way, even the ones that are described and talked about by the first person narrator. 

 

But then again, third person narrative works just as well when I think about it. I think as long as the author has done a great job on the narrative, whether it be first or third person, the book is a success. 

[sadya]

Both work for me, depending on how well the story is written. 

[bobblybear]

I'd probably say I slightly prefer third person, but it's not a clear preference.....that is, I'm not put off reading a book in the first person.