Those of you who are well read...

[Section_31]

How common is it to have a story told in the first person by a 'narrator', with internal monologues etc, but who has no impact on the actual plot itself and just observes?

[The Flâneur]

Difficult to answer, unless someone has read almost everything. From my own experience as a literature graduate, I would say not very common in your common or garden novel, but I seem to be of the impression that a few plays turn up of that ilk.

 

Pourquoi?

Edited November 14, 2011 by The Flâneur
well, why?

[Whelan]

The Great Gatsby?

[piscinin]

The Great Gatsby?

 

I think section has something more omniscient in mind, but it's difficult to tell, he's being very coy.

[Whelan]

I think section has something more omniscient in mind, but it's difficult to tell, he's being very coy.

 

To be honest, I don't think I should be posting in this thread, and your post has just confirmed it!

 

From now on, I will be observing and taking notes!

[Unrighteous]

I haven't noticed it happening all that much in the ridiculous amount of novels that I've read, S31.

 

Hope that helps.

[Anubis]

I'd say very, very rare.

[piscinin]

To be honest, I don't think I should be posting in this thread, and your post has just confirmed it!

 

From now on, I will be observing and taking notes!

 

I'm guessing, you could very well be right. I'm just trying to draw section out.

[Carvalho Diablo]

How common is it to have a story told in the first person by a 'narrator', with internal monologues etc, but who has no impact on the actual plot itself and just observes?

 

"Not very", would be my answer.

 

The only books I can think of that possibly fit that desription would be, "Wampeter's, Foma and Grandfalloons", by Kurt Vonnegut, or perhaps "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving.

 

Both excellent, but debateable whether the 'narrator' has little impact upon the plot line.

[zigackly]

It's quite rare, but not vanishingly so.

[Whelan]

Would Zuckerman in American Pastoral and the Human Stain be an example, he doesn't seem to influence the plot at all, but observes and narrates?

 

However it has been a while and I may have forgotten quite a lot!

[md1892]

Rare , in my experience, which I'll be honest appears limited compared with some of the previous posts

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Rare , in my experience, which I'll be honest appears limited compared with some of the previous posts

 

Mine appears to be very limited.

[The Flâneur]

It's the internal monologue bit that's throwing me, plenty of benign narration out there, but with internal monologues? hmmm.....

[She Knows It]

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is narrated by death. It's a brilliant book. Read it if you haven't already.

[Paulie Dangerously]

"One flew over the cuckoos nest" is narrated by Chief Broom and he has little to do with the plot

[neko]

'London Fields' by Martin Amis ?

[Hand Shandy]

Not a book so I'll undoubtedly be ripped to bits for it, but 'The Big Lebowski' springs to mind...

[moof]

I was just thinking big lebowski too

[Jose Jones]

"One flew over the cuckoos nest" is narrated by Chief Broom and he has little to do with the plot

 

Dude, it's all about the Chief!

 

Spoilers for those who have not read the book:

Warning! The following content is NOT WORK SAFE. Click the Show button to reveal.

McMurphy's actions and personality lead the chief out of the darkness and ready to take responsibility for himself again. As such there is an intentional blurring of whether McMurphy actually is just a good man causing a bit of trouble to the psycopathic system, or that is just how it is interpreted by the Chief in his transitioning mental state.

As McMurphy gets lobotomised at the end it is reflected by the Chief breaking out of the mental institute being the conclusion of this.

 

[Uncle_Meat]

Not very often, but if you like his stuff, The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King is an excellent example of how it can work.

[Remmie]

I can dress myself

[Paul]

What purpose would internal monologues serve if the narrator was extraneous to the narrative? They could lead the reader to a particular perspective but that would be a bit heavy handed, wouldn't it?

 

I suppose it would work if you had a character narrating an historical story that was later revealed to have some resonance in their present. However, that character would inevitably then become part of the narrative.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Well if it helps, I've never seen anything like you're describing, on the back of the Cheerios box.

[L19red]

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is narrated by death. It's a brilliant book. Read it if you haven't already.

 

Thats the one that sprang to mind for me. Very good book.