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
Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz

Before You Knew My Name

Jacqueline Bublitz

328 pages • paperback • 2021

fiction mystery thriller dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard by Natasha Lester

The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard

Natasha Lester

496 pages • hardcover • 2024

fiction historical mystery emotional mysterious medium-paced
No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall

No One Can Know

Kate Alice Marshall

336 pages • digital • 2024

fiction contemporary mystery thriller dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Leila and the Blue Fox

Kiran Millwood Hargrave

241 pages • hardcover • 2022

fiction middle grade adventurous medium-paced
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

The Reformatory

Tananarive Due

20 hours, 51 minutes • audio • 2023

fiction historical horror dark emotional tense medium-paced
Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before Your Memory Fades

Before the Coffee Gets Cold #3

Toshikazu Kawaguchi

315 pages • hardcover • 2018

fiction literary magical realism emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Midnight Library

Matt Haig

288 pages • hardcover • 2020

fiction contemporary literary science fiction emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett

11 hours, 34 minutes • audio • 2020

fiction historical literary emotional reflective medium-paced
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing

Delia Owens

12 hours, 12 minutes • audio • 2018

fiction historical literary mystery emotional mysterious medium-paced
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Light from Uncommon Stars

Ryka Aoki

372 pages • hardcover • 2021

fiction fantasy lgbtqia+ science fiction adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced