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
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians #1

Kevin Kwan

403 pages • hardcover • 2013

fiction contemporary romance funny lighthearted medium-paced
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith

487 pages • paperback • 1943

fiction classics literary young adult emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Thornhedge

T. Kingfisher

129 pages • digital • 2023

fiction fantasy adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

The Housemaid

The Housemaid #1

Freida McFadden

338 pages • digital • 2022

fiction crime mystery thriller dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Private Rites by Julia Armfield

Private Rites

Julia Armfield

327 pages • hardcover • 2024

fiction horror lgbtqia+ literary speculative fiction dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

The Last Murder at the End of the World

Stuart Turton

354 pages • hardcover • 2024

fiction mystery science fiction thriller adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
The Death of Grass by John Christopher

The Death of Grass

John Christopher

194 pages • paperback • 1956

fiction classics dystopian science fiction dark tense medium-paced
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit

The Lord of the Rings #0

J.R.R. Tolkien

389 pages • paperback • 1937

fiction classics fantasy middle grade adventurous lighthearted medium-paced
When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margaret Verble

When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky

Margaret Verble

13 hours, 12 minutes • audio • 2021

fiction historical literary mysterious slow-paced
Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake

Alone With You in the Ether

Olivie Blake

302 pages • paperback • 2020

fiction literary romance emotional reflective medium-paced