Books: First-Person or Third-Person?

[Chauzu]

I'm starting work on a new story, but I'm having a hard time deciding whether I should do a first-person narrative, or third-person narrative. I was wondoring what the readers prefer the most when reading books.

So, which narrative style do you prefer? First-person or third-person? Or perhaps both?

Explain.

 

[Tsyr]

Either can work, however... in general, I have a lot harder time reading first-person narative stories than third. A first person either has to have a *very* compelling story, or a *very* compelling main character, and it has to be *very* well written for me to be able to enjoy it.

 

[reddist]

The Chronicles of Amber (by Roger Zelazny) are all written from the the 1st person perspective, and they are quite possibly my favorite books ever.

Actually Zelazny does many of his novels from 1st person. I'd say he was pretty good at it.

-Reddist

 

[Enforcer]

I agree, it's very hard to do 1st-person well. I actually tried it for my only story hour attempt (Enforcer wrote a story hour? Who's Enforcer?), and I was never totally happy with it. But that's just me; no poll or outside advice should influence what you feel most comfortable writing.

 

[Starman]

There are pros and cons for each.

With first person you tend to get more immersion because the reader forms a bond with the main character. In a sense, he becomes the main character. The author is limited because everything must be filtered through the main character. You cannot get in anyone else's head. You also cannot cut to any other part of the story.

Third person gives you some distance. You can view more character's thoughts and jump to different places in your world. On the other hand, the distance makes it harder for your reader to get attachment.

Basically, write what is easiest for you, or best for the story.

Starman

 

[Chauzu]

Yeah, but I am equally comfortable with writing both styles, yet both styles would fit my story.

What I have been thinking now, though, is that have it first-person perspective, but from multiple people. (For example, each chapter has a different character giving his perspective.) I was thinking this could allow a better bond with the multiple characters, and yet not have the traditional 3rd-person, all-knowing, point of view.

How would you guys feel about this?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I never much liked 1st Person until I read I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole. WOW. When done right, its amazing.
I like that idea of multiple 1st Person POVs to tell the larger story...

 

[Brown Jenkin]

First person can be done very well but it is definitely the minority choice. A common practice to achieve the same general effect of putting sympathy on a single character is to do third person but with a look at the main characters thoughts but not those of the other characters.

As for first person fiction I enjoy Bram Stoker's Dracula and H.P. Lovecraft's stories. Dracula is multiple first person points of view from journal excerpts, and is a rarity to see such a choice used. H.P. Lovecraft stories do both journals and first person storytelling. It is in part that none of these stories are third person that the reader begins to believe that these creatures may just be real since you lose that detachment that comes with third person.

[Edit fixing a point]

 

[Tonguez]

A method I like but which may be harder than others is the 1st person 3rd person perspective. Ie the character through whom the story is viewed is a minor bit player who views the story and its main characters from a distance. Its like when say a valet tells the story of his Master and the Invasion of Om.

 

[shilsen]

Yeah, but I am equally comfortable with writing both styles, yet both styles would fit my story.

What I have been thinking now, though, is that have it first-person perspective, but from multiple people. (For example, each chapter has a different character giving his perspective.) I was thinking this could allow a better bond with the multiple characters, and yet not have the traditional 3rd-person, all-knowing, point of view.

How would you guys feel about this?

Voted for both, since I like both approaches. First person is usually a lot more difficult to pull off, but again that depends on the genre and the individual text.

To answer your question, I think that having multiple first-person narrators is a reasonable mix of the two. Brown Jenkin mentioned Dracula and there are a number of other great books where that has been done successfully (Wuthering Heights is the first one that came to mind).