I finally get why people hate unreliable narrators in book club picks

I used to think unreliable narrators were the best thing ever. Like, c'mon, it's fun to figure out what's real and what's not. But last month my book club read "The Last House on Needless Street" and I spent the whole first half feeling like I was wasting my time. The narrator's version of events was so twisted that nothing mattered. There was no solid ground to stand on. I kept asking my friend Jess what she thought happened and even she gave up. That's when it clicked - if the story gives you nothing to hold onto, the twist at the end doesn't hit hard. It's like building a house on sand. Now I get why people groan when I suggest something with a shifty narrator. Has anyone else had a book completely flip your opinion on this?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver_ward141mo ago

Gotta agree with you completely. Picked up "Gone Girl" after everyone raved about it and felt like I was just waiting for the rug to get yanked out from under me the whole time. By the time the big reveal came I was just tired of not knowing what to believe.

iris3941mo ago

Tension built right up to the payoff and that was the whole point.