/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.2030317]

Does anyone else ever find themselves getting ridiculously prejudiced against first-person writing?

I mean, I HAVE liked first-person literature in the past so I know it's not all bad. But lately whenever I'm looking through new books to read if I look at the first page and see it's in first-person I put it down with a feeling akin to revulsion. I get thoughts like, "Who the hell is this, talking to me like this? I don't even know you. And in a lot of cases you're a fictional character to begin with." Naturally the effect isn't as disturbing to me when presented in a frame narrative style, or in works where it actually is the AUTHOR talking.

[Anonymous No.2030329]

[Anonymous No.2030345]

>"Who the hell is this, talking to me like this? I don't even know you. And in a lot of cases you're a fictional character to begin with."

hahahah. I love first person because of this feeling.

anyway have this quote:

"Whenever you read a good book, it's like the author is right there, in the room, talking to you, which is why I don't like to read good books." --Jack Handey

[Anonymous No.2030747]

No, but I automatically 'mark down' books written since the twenties that use the third person. There's no excuse.

[Anonymous No.2030750]

>>2030747

What? You think there's no use for third person omniscient now? Why?

[Anonymous No.2030813]

I once attempted to read a book that was written in the second person, it was most obnoxious combination of words I've ever come across.

[Anonymous No.2030816]

>>2030813
Was it Ablutions by Patrick DeWitt?
If it was, that was awful for reasons other than use of second person. I still can't believe I even read it.

[Anonymous No.2030862]

>>2030816
I don't think so, but I can't remember the title. I only read the first dozen pages

[Anonymous No.2030891]

I tend to be prejudiced against books written in the first person for two reasons.

1) It's harder to judge things written in the first person since the writing is usually conversational and don't have to include as many passages with good prose. Are the setting and actions described in an uninteresting way because of the nature of the narrator character, or is the author just not a good writer? Hard to tell sometimes.

2) I tend to compare works written in the first person to books by Gene Wolfe, in which case the bar is set almost impossibly high.

[Anonymous No.2030906]

totally understand the prejudice but as with anything would suggest you ignore such prejudices. you might miss out on epic gems
>portrait of the artist as a young man

[8ball Rolling No.2030916]

I can relate. When I read "The Kin of Ata" I simply could not relate to the drug-induced madman that was given to me as a first person perspective. All throughout the book i struggled to stay interested as he did just..stupid shit that pissed me off. (starting fights with a peaceful society, killing someone in a fit of rage)

uh..also I want to know more than just what this douchebag is seeing. I like Third Person Omniscient when there's too much story for one man to remark upon.

[Anonymous No.2030946]

It's almost the default for internet amateurs ("Hello. I am a serial killer. I kill people just for fun. Listen as I narrate my edgy life as smugly as possible.") and their suckiness kind of rubs off on the first-person mode as a whole in my mind. It also has more potential for self-indulgence on the author's part, very much related to amateur writing, so yeah, I'm doubtful about first person books I haven't read before.

[Anonymous No.2031000]

>>2030750

Because nobody ever occupies that relationship, legitimately, to another human being. In a period of slavery and rigid class-structures when writers thought they were possessed of the one true faith, it made sense, but not now.

[Anonymous No.2031126]

bump

[Anonymous No.2031134]

>dat .png

[Anonymous No.2031141]

I love first person, love reading it, and whenever I'm thinking about writing something it takes a conscious effort to tear myself away from writing it in the first person