Comments on: What is an Unreliable Narrator?: Penning the Prevaricating Protagonist

By: Sean Glatch

Sean Glatch — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:34:54 +0000

I’m so happy this helps you write your novel, Richard! I look forward to reading it once it’s out in the world. 🙂

Warmest,
Sean

By: Richard Carrico

Richard Carrico — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 20:04:24 +0000

Sean: Excellent essay and really helpful to me in flushing out my Unreliable Character, the country western bandleader and murderer Spade Cooley. My true crime book or maybe a historical fiction book moves between three major narrators and the Cooley character is a perfect UR character as described by you.
You outlined and described Cooley and gave me more understanding and insights into his character as I have already written it. Also, how his unreliability and moral corruption fits into the theme of Hollywood and Los Angeles in the 1930-1950 period.

By: Sean Glatch

Sean Glatch — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:19:31 +0000

In reply to Karen N FitzGerald.

Hi Karen,

I hadn’t yet been conceived! Nonetheless, I’m grateful for your kind words, and pretty envious of what you studied in grad school. I’m sure I could learn quite a few things from you.

Many thanks!

Warmest,
Sean

By: Sean Glatch

Sean Glatch — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:13:06 +0000

In reply to Daniel Hagen.

Hi Daniel,

Absolutely! Narrators can be unreliable simply by living in a skewed sense of reality, or not having all the information they need to tell the story. Among the examples we shared, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier feels closest to this—she’s not intentionally lying to the reader, but her naivety and entrapment in social norms makes her misrepresent the story nonetheless. Nick Carraway might be an example of this, too, depending on whether or not you think he’s aware of what he’s doing… like everyone in the story, he’s blinded, in some way, by the allure of wealth and the American Dream.

As for antiheroes, they’re not inherently unreliable, though I’d hazard that the average antihero narrator is more likely to be unreliable than the average narrator in general.

I’m happy this article is helpful!

Warmest,
Sean

By: Sean Glatch

Sean Glatch — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:05:49 +0000

In reply to David Lummis.

Thank you for the kind words, David! I’m so glad we’ve been able to help you along your writing journey.

Warmest,
Sean

By: Karen N FitzGerald

Karen N FitzGerald — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:09:54 +0000

Dear Mr. Glatch –
Where were you 30 years ago when I was in grad school deeply immersed in language centered theories of human behavior? Do allow me to make this one astute comment on your very brilliant essay here.

WOW!

Thank you. I hope to take any of your course offerings one day when the budget allows.

Sincerely,

By: Daniel Hagen

Daniel Hagen — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 02:42:57 +0000

Question: Can a narrator be unreliable and still be honest in relating their POV? That is to say, they are not necessarily lying or misrepresenting their experience as such, but perhaps are unreliable in the sense that they have become “skewed” as a result of their experience? This would suggest that the unreliability is more an issue of lying to themselves as to their own nature rather than misrepresenting, hyperbolizing or being otherwise untrustworthy in that sense. Can a character that is anti-heroic, for example, be otherwise reliable and still be considered an unreliable narrator?

As usual, a very helpful and illuminating article, Sean. Thank you!

By: David Lummis

David Lummis — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 01:14:29 +0000

Thanks, Sean. Love this
and all of your others I’ve treated myself to so far. So very intelligent and generous. On this long and at times very lonely journey, I feel I’ve struck gold with Writers.com.

By: Sean Glatch

Sean Glatch — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:40:52 +0000

In reply to Carol Thoma. I'm glad this helps, Carol! Happy writing and not-writing :)

By: Carol Thoma

Carol Thoma — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 17:38:03 +0000

Sean,

This is wonderful ! And close to home, and I’m going to spend time reading it…
yes, the time I’m not spending writing.

Thank you. Carol