Lying Eyes

"But sometimes first-person speakers are unreliable because they may have interests or limitations that lead them to mislead, distort, or even lie" (Roberts 81).

Everyone has a favorite point of view to read or write in.  Many people like first person, because it seems to pull the reader in, make her feel like she's the one in the story.  Some people like third person because of the extra information they receive, the observations that wouldn't be privy to a narrator trapped in one mind.  (Yeah, I'm purposely skipping the second person explanation, because it's so rare, but if anyone enjoys that the most, feel free to let us know why)

Very few people will put conditions on their pet point of view, but I do.  While I enjoy first person, I also love an unreliable narrator.  I think this makes the speaker more human, easier to relate to.  It's just like when you're listening to someone tell a story; depending on the role he/she played in their tale, the facts need to be filtered through our own experiences and common sense.  Too often we let our thoughts run free, undiluted by logic.  Having an unreliable narrator keeps you guessing, even when you think you've got all the facts, you're often wrong.

I read a book about two years ago by James Patterson called Beach Road.  This is a great example of an unreliable narrator.  SPOILER ALERT!!  The whole way through, the narrator is trying to solve a murder.  By the end of the book, you think he has it, you're all happy, because you kind of guessed who it was at the end, too.  The guy gets the girl, the murderer gets justice, and the reader gets to feel intelligent.  However, if one were to continue reading (and I'd suggest it, since at that point there are only about five pages left), she'd find out that the narrator did it.  And suddenly you have to reread the book, to find out when exactly you were outright lied to.  Now, I am by no means the Sherlock Holmes of literature, but I usually can tell when something's going on.  I absolutely loved that this book threw me so far off my game.  Sometimes reading is really just about having fun (and a collective gasp sounds from English majors everywhere, along with a dull thud as millions fall out of their chairs).  An unreliable narrator is a great way to go into that battle of wits, to never quite be comfortable with what you're hearing, and to spur yourself on to closer reading.