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52 Book Club: 2024 Reading Challenge - hosted by anamarquina

An omniscient narrator
What is an omniscient narrator? Omniscient means “all-knowing.” Omniscient narrators know what is happening at all times throughout the book. They know the thoughts, feelings, and backstories of all the characters (or a specific character or character group for limited omniscient.) Usually, omniscient narrators are written in third person (he/she/they/them) but there are a few exceptions to this. (For example, The Book Thief, which is narrated by death.)

A few tips for working out whether or not you have an omniscient narrator:

– Does the voice remain the same throughout the novel? You may explore the perspectives of multiple characters, but the narrator’s voice should use the same language and tone while exploring the story with each character.

– Whose perspectives do we see? Books with omniscient narrators often have multiple, varied perspectives. You may see the thoughts or feelings from multiple characters, even in the same scene.

– Is the narrator all-knowing? Is there anything in the book that the narrator doesn’t know? Does the narrator provide details about what’s happened in the past and what’s currently happening? Are we being told things that the characters couldn’t or wouldn’t know? For example: You may see sentences like: “Little did he know, the killer was already waiting for him…”

– Web search! When in doubt, a quick web search with the book title “+ narration style” may help clarify whether or not you have an omniscient narrator.

Examples: The Lord of the Flies, Beloved, Middlemarch, Where the Crawdads Sing, Everything I Never Told You, Dune
Goodreads List: An omniscient narrator
All books added
Good Omens: A Full Cast Production by Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman

Good Omens: A Full Cast Production

Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman

12 hours, 14 minutes • audio • 1990 user-added

fiction fantasy adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano

Dear Edward

Ann Napolitano

11 hours, 37 minutes • audio • 2020

fiction contemporary emotional reflective sad medium-paced
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere

Celeste Ng

338 pages • hardcover • 2017

fiction contemporary literary emotional reflective medium-paced
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Speaker for the Dead

Ender's Saga #2

Orson Scott Card

518 pages • digital • 1986

fiction science fiction adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The Lies of Locke Lamora

Gentleman Bastard #1

Scott Lynch

625 pages • hardcover • 2006

fiction fantasy adventurous dark funny medium-paced
Camino Island by John Grisham

Camino Island

Camino Island #1

John Grisham

290 pages • hardcover • 2017

fiction crime mystery thriller mysterious reflective fast-paced
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

The God of the Woods

Liz Moore

478 pages • digital • 2024

fiction historical literary mystery thriller dark mysterious tense medium-paced
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

The Briar Club

Kate Quinn

15 hours, 3 minutes • audio • 2024

fiction historical mystery thriller emotional mysterious medium-paced
Abducted in Appalachia by Drew Strickland, Drew Strickland

Abducted in Appalachia

Sheriff Elven Hallie #4

Drew Strickland, Drew Strickland

14 hours, 29 minutes • audio • 2022 user-added

fiction dark mysterious slow-paced
Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison

Whiskey When We're Dry

John Larison

387 pages • hardcover • 2018

fiction historical lgbtqia+ adventurous emotional tense medium-paced