Between the Chapters Book Club discussion

When you begin reading a book (especially a thriller/suspense) do you go in automatically trusting the narrator? Or are you suspicious of everyone, even the person telling the story?

That's a good question. It's a hard one. I go back and forth. Some times I don't trust the narrator. At other times I do trust the teller of the book. I want to trust the narrator because she or he is the one who is willing to tell what is going on.

I automatically trust the narrator unless the story seems extremely extreme which has only happened once. I never thought about it but it’s true. I think a book where you can’t trust the narrator has little entertainment value and isn’t worth reading.

I always seem to be dissatisfied with a book that has an unreliable narrator. The story never turns out like I feel it should or sometimes with any sense to it at all. When I learned the term - unreliable narrator - maybe 7 or 8 years ago, I then understood why I never liked some of the books I read, but could not put my finger on why.

I would like to be able to trust all narrators, but I know that I can't. So I think just a bit of me stays alert to that fact. But I always hope that I am not trusting an unreliable narrator. I really don't like that let down feeling I get from those books.

I definitely go back in forth as the book progresses - like s good ole fashion game of Clue.

Unless it's a series and the narrator is the main character, I'm always a little suspicious of the narrator. When it's done well and the clues are there, I really enjoy an unreliable narrator. If it springs out of no where at the end of the story, I feel cheated. I loved "You" by Caroline Kepnes. I picked it up knowing nothing about it and the gradual unfolding of the story had me mesmerized.

I go by the synopsis of the story.

In a thriller, I usually start out suspecting the narrator!

I think it depends on the book. If it's a mystery or thriller, I like not knowing but I think it's pretty easy to trust the narrator for most general fiction.

I will keep an open mind..I have to read a few chapters to at least have an idea how the plots are working... but sometimes I'm wrong.

I must say now having read The Other Mistress, Williams did a very good job with her narrator.

Can the narrator be the author? If the narrator has a disability that impacts his or her ability to communicate do you trust points of view?