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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
The Wedding People by Alison Espach

The Wedding People

Alison Espach

367 pages • digital • 2024

fiction contemporary literary emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones

A Song of Ice and Fire #1

George R.R. Martin

835 pages • paperback • 1996

fiction fantasy adventurous dark tense medium-paced
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea

Cerulean Chronicles #1

TJ Klune

398 pages • hardcover • 2020

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston

Pack Challenge

Magnus Pack #1

Shelly Laurenston

224 pages • paperback • 2006

fiction fantasy romance funny lighthearted fast-paced
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

When Women Were Dragons

Kelly Barnhill

336 pages • hardcover • 2022

fiction historical lgbtqia+ magical realism emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer

Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era

Laurence Leamer

368 pages • hardcover • 2021

nonfiction biography history informative medium-paced
The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

The Stars Too Fondly

Emily Hamilton

320 pages • digital • 2024

fiction lgbtqia+ romance science fiction adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The Guncle

The Guncle #1

Steven Rowley

11 hours, 23 minutes • audio • 2021

fiction contemporary lgbtqia+ emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
Verraten: Thriller | Das große Finale der Bestseller-Serie by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Verraten: Thriller | Das große Finale der Bestseller-Serie

Department Q #10

Jussi Adler-Olsen

608 pages • digital • 2023

fiction crime mystery thriller dark mysterious tense medium-paced
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

A Closed and Common Orbit

Wayfarers #2

Becky Chambers

365 pages • hardcover • 2016

fiction lgbtqia+ science fiction adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced