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
Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

Cards on the Table

Hercule Poirot #15

Agatha Christie

324 pages • paperback • 1936

fiction classics crime mystery mysterious medium-paced
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak

13 hours, 56 minutes • audio • 2005

fiction historical young adult dark emotional sad medium-paced
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

Bright Young Women

Jessica Knoll

376 pages • hardcover • 2023

fiction crime historical thriller challenging dark tense medium-paced
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven

Emily St. John Mandel

10 hours, 40 minutes • audio • 2014

fiction dystopian literary adventurous dark reflective medium-paced
Lovestruck by Laura Jane Williams

Lovestruck

Laura Jane Williams

400 pages • paperback • 2023

fiction romance funny lighthearted medium-paced
The Burning Witch by Delemhach

The Burning Witch

The Burning Witch #1

Delemhach

399 pages • digital • 2023

fiction fantasy romance adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide

Rupert Holmes

388 pages • hardcover • 2023

fiction mystery thriller dark funny mysterious medium-paced
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

Secret Projects #3

Brandon Sanderson

14 hours, 43 minutes • audio • 2023

fiction fantasy adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising

Taylor Jenkins Reid

369 pages • hardcover • 2021

fiction literary emotional reflective medium-paced
Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll by Priscilla Presley

Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll

Priscilla Presley

10 hours, 50 minutes • audio • 1985

nonfiction biography memoir emotional informative reflective medium-paced