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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
Beloved by Toni Morrison

Beloved

Beloved Trilogy #1

Toni Morrison

288 pages • hardcover • 1987

fiction classics historical literary magical realism dark emotional sad slow-paced
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

190 pages • paperback • 1954

fiction classics literary adventurous dark tense medium-paced
Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop by Carol Shaben

Into the Abyss: How a Deadly Plane Crash Changed the Lives of a Pilot, a Politician, a Criminal and a Cop

Carol Shaben

336 pages • hardcover • 2012

nonfiction autobiography biography emotional reflective medium-paced
Ithaca by Claire North

Ithaca

The Songs of Penelope #1

Claire North

12 hours, 32 minutes • audio • 2022

fiction fantasy historical adventurous emotional tense slow-paced
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Mexican Gothic

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

10 hours, 40 minutes • audio • 2020

fiction historical horror mystery dark mysterious tense medium-paced
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster

272 pages • paperback • 1961

fiction classics fantasy middle grade adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced
The Rebel Angels by Robertson Davies

The Rebel Angels

The Cornish Trilogy #1

Robertson Davies

11 hours, 53 minutes • audio • 1981

fiction literary funny reflective slow-paced
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn

In an Instant

Suzanne Redfearn

332 pages • paperback • 2020

fiction contemporary young adult emotional sad medium-paced
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan

J.M. Barrie

206 pages • paperback • 1911

fiction childrens classics fantasy middle grade adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

219 pages • paperback • 1937

fiction classics historical literary emotional reflective medium-paced