1st person or a narrator?

Dream Catcher · Post by **Dream Catcher** » 23 Jan 2014, 07:03

I prefer first so I can emphasise with the character

Iggy_86 · Post by **Iggy_86** » 23 Jan 2014, 08:44

1st person vs 3rd person, huh? How about 2nd person?

I'm soon to read Italo Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler. Gonna be a fun ride to step into that 2nd person perspective after reading so many 1st and 3rd person books.

-- 23 Jan 2014, 08:47 --

Dream Catcher wrote:I prefer first so I can emphasise with the character

I'm sure you can remember some books that were written in the 3rd person where you could emphasize with a character?

1st person sure has its perks when it comes to this issue, but a good author can use the 3rd person to the same effect, and at the same time bring in all the positive aspects that a 3rd person narrative has to offer.

dianaan · Post by **dianaan** » 23 Jan 2014, 15:16

When I was younger I hated 1st person narrative, I felt they were too subjective, too emotional. Now 3rd person seems artificial to me. Don't know, guess it depends on how the author creates their universe

sarah92480 · Post by **sarah92480** » 23 Jan 2014, 19:49

I guess I've never really thought about it. Now that it's mentioned, I do like 1st person quite a bit, because like you guys are saying it helps you relate to the character's feelings and emotions. I have read some really good books that were narrated though too, so I suppose it depends on the story.

Bfrisco · Post by **Bfrisco** » 24 Jan 2014, 12:37

I would definitely have to say third person. I have found some stories where a first person narrative improved the story, but I can't think of many. I think if an author chooses to use first person, it's more effective if it's for a specific reason, such as limiting the reader's knowledge to what the character knows or creating more of an emotional connection with the reader.

Dean Koontz · Post by **CinnamonB** » 24 Jan 2014, 13:18

My favorite is the 1st person. I just prefer to feel as if I'm a part of the story by using the 1st person's details and create my own images as they describe.

Jolijt · Post by **Jolijt** » 24 Jan 2014, 14:08

Both! No preference.

ALRyder · Post by **ALRyder** » 24 Jan 2014, 21:51

This is something that I had never really thought about until someone I was talking to, who was in the process of writing a book, said they only wrote in third person because they didn't like to read in first person. I normally don't have a preference myself though.

TrishaAnn92 · Post by **TrishaAnn92** » 25 Jan 2014, 08:23

I don't mind either of them but 1st person is my favorite.

Clarbear13 · Post by **Clarbear13** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:06

I enjoy first person a lot more than narrator.

CrazyBookFan1 · Post by **CrazyBookFan1** » 28 Jan 2014, 21:26

I like 1st person better because I can relate better with the character. It feels like I am in their shoes when I read a book in first person.

amcdaniel_01 · Post by **amcdaniel_01** » 30 Jan 2014, 02:14

It really depends on the genre for me. If I'm going through a fantasy kick, I prefer narrator. However, my favorite type of book is a memoir, which, as the genre demands, are written in first person. Therefore, I typically read more of that.

K-katastrophe3 · Post by **K-katastrophe3** » 03 Feb 2014, 13:08

I definitely like both.
More often, I do tend to prefer first person, though there are definitely times when narrator is better for the story than first or third person.

britt1125 · Post by **britt1125** » 03 Feb 2014, 13:11

I think it depends on the book. When there is more than one main Character than a narrator is a better choice. Some books skip from one person to another and it would be hard to keep track of both if it was written first person.

Danni Krue · Post by **Danni Krue** » 03 Feb 2014, 22:56

I prefer first person point of view, it is just so much easier to connect on a personal level to the character. There are a few authors that write third person really well however.