You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

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
The Wonder of Stevie by Wesley Morris

The Wonder of Stevie

Wesley Morris

6 hours, 10 minutes • audio • 2024

nonfiction music emotional informative inspiring fast-paced
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronological Order) #2

C.S. Lewis

194 pages • paperback • 1950

fiction childrens classics fantasy middle grade adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

James McBride

384 pages • digital • 2023

fiction historical literary emotional reflective medium-paced
Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

Tread of Angels

Rebecca Roanhorse

201 pages • hardcover • 2022

fiction fantasy historical mystery challenging dark mysterious medium-paced
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Divine Rivals

Letters of Enchantment #1

Rebecca Ross

357 pages • hardcover • 2023

fiction fantasy romance young adult adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings #3

J.R.R. Tolkien

554 pages • paperback • 1955

fiction classics fantasy adventurous emotional hopeful slow-paced
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

The Hero of Ages

Mistborn #3

Brandon Sanderson

758 pages • paperback • 2008

fiction fantasy adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Gabrielle Zevin

272 pages • digital • 2014

fiction contemporary emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors

Children of the Red King #4

Jenny Nimmo

368 pages • paperback • 2005

fiction fantasy middle grade adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
The Monkey and the Monk: An Abridgment of The Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-En, Anthony C. Yu

The Monkey and the Monk: An Abridgment of The Journey to the West

Wu Ch'eng-En, Anthony C. Yu

528 pages • hardcover • 1592

fiction classics adventurous informative reflective medium-paced