Saturday 4 June 2011

Multiple Perspectives

Some books like to split the narrative between several main characters, with each chapter or so told in the voice of a different person. This can make the story more realistic, as people's perceptions of the same events can differ drastically. It can also show the direct effects of one person's actions or words on another. Many great books employ this device to good effect; it keeps it interesting and allows the use of different writing styles to represent the different characters.

However, there is always one 'voice' which you prefer to read, a favourite character or style, and the deviations from this can, in some cases, diminish the story. Particularly if certain perspectives are actually irritating, or worse, boring, this can make you want to skip certain chapters until you reach your favourite again.

Yet it is also possible that the only reason you are able to appreciate a certain character to such a degree is the fact that their narrative is surrounded by 'lesser' accounts. It's the old idea that we need to experience the bad to truly recognise the good.

On the other hand, if a book could be full of more or less equally good viewpoints, then so much the better. The fact that this evaluation of character is an entirely subjective exercise makes it difficult for a writer to please everyone with every voice they choose to use. Multiple perspectives- do you love or hate them?

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