First person limits the narrative scope to what can be known by the teller of the tale. It’s good for short stories where brevity is the name of the game and your primary interest is in what the main character sees and feels and thinks, but in a longer piece of fiction it’s constricting. You’re limited to that one person’s point of view.
True. And I read one recently that was brilliant – Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg. But more often than not, I find myself thinking, ‘This would’ve been a helluva lot better if it wasn’t chopped up like this. An omniscient narrator would have been the way to go.’ One girl’s opinion, and I could probably name a dozen more good examples of first person narrative myself. I just have a preference.
Either.
I prefer third ?
First
Books third person, video games first person!
Third person
First
Definitely third.
Why?
@Heather first person stories tend to drag for me and it’s hard to actually get the story. There’s always so much extra stuff.
First person limits the narrative scope to what can be known by the teller of the tale. It’s good for short stories where brevity is the name of the game and your primary interest is in what the main character sees and feels and thinks, but in a longer piece of fiction it’s constricting. You’re limited to that one person’s point of view.
@Pat a lot of the fiction books in first person have different chapters where each one has a different persons POV.
True. And I read one recently that was brilliant – Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg. But more often than not, I find myself thinking, ‘This would’ve been a helluva lot better if it wasn’t chopped up like this. An omniscient narrator would have been the way to go.’ One girl’s opinion, and I could probably name a dozen more good examples of first person narrative myself. I just have a preference.
Don’t care.
Either one. I used to greatly prefer third person, but have been enjoying reading more first person narratives
In third person I’m often curious “whose voice is narrating to me”?” in first person I know whose voice I’m reading
I prefer third.
Any person it doesn’t matter to me if the story is good
If it’s well written, either one.
It doesn’t matter as long as it’s well written.
First person is more intimate
First person as I feel more connected to the story. The book I’m reading uses a mixture of both first and third person.
3rd
Third. I like to get a more unbiased opinion of the characters and it’s hard to get that in first person.
Depends on the book.
Third, unless a memoir
Third.
Doesn’t matter
Third. It gets so annoying to be in someone’s head all the time ?