Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Bookish weakness: multiple POVs

I've spent a lot of time considering how I can get out of my reading comfort zone. Hence the resolution for the year (which I'll probably keep going cos, hey! diversity always) and while this might be something I'm trying to be very aware of this year, I've noticed something else. A new book comfort zone: multiple POVs.
I guess it's not ENTIRELY new. But I've realized more and more that if a book has a bunch of different narrators and/or intertwining stories, I will forgive it a lot of other problems it might have. And while I've been focused on my resolution criteria, I have not been seeking out multiple POV books, yet I've still managed to read 7 books with multiple narrators/POVs this year alone.*

Sometimes I like seeing the same events from multiple characters points of view. It's a good reminder that everyone is bringing their own interpretation to a single experience.

Sometimes it's not necessarily that I'm experiencing the same event multiple times but just seeing how a number of different stories intersect with each other and how something insignificant now can have huge effects later. 

Sometimes I think I just get distracted easily and need the characters to shift to keep my interest. Or rather I know I get distracted easily. I got distracted for 5 minutes minimum while writing this sentence. 
The nice part of this reading preference is that it can fit in with any of my resolutions. Or any genre. Oh man, I like preferences that don't require me to give up other things. 

Mostly the point is "I want to write another blog post but don't feel like reviewing The Passage right now because my Kindle is upstairs and that is faaaaaaar" but my OTHER point is crowd sourcing for some recommendations. So, any multiple POV books I should check out? Bonus points if they're by non-white and/or non-US people OR published before 2000 cos gotta keep the resolution going.


*Oh, did you want a list? OF COURSE
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
California by Edan Lepucki
The House Girl by Tara Conklin
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The Passage by Justin Cronin

Comments (10)

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I just posted a review today of The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows that came out last week. One of the reasons I liked it was the multiple POV - and I loved the three characters it switched between.

That doesn't get any of the bonus points though - so I'll also recommend Lisa See's books, if you haven't already read them. I can't remember if ALL of them have multiple POV or just some, but I really enjoyed them all. They focus on Chinese and/or Chinese-American characters.
1 reply · active 508 weeks ago
I'll have to go check out your review! And I don't think I have read any Lisa See but I will def need to!
DID YOU LEAVE OUT THE WOMAN IN WHITE I THINK YOU DID

"Sometimes I think I just get distracted easily and need the characters to shift to keep my interest."

Yes. That is why. Just letting you know. That is why Game of Thrones books get read by people.
1 reply · active 508 weeks ago
I DID NOT LEAVE OUT THE WOMAN IN WHITE I WOULD NEVER. I only listed the multiple POVs I read this year so far.

Martin is a smart man. I can't imagine trying to get through the whole GoT series (or like, a single 1200 page book) if it was all from one character POV. Of course that would obv never work with GoT cos the characters die too often...
ME TOO ALWAYS. When I was little my mother got me this book called Among Friends, by Caroline B. Cooney (the Face on the Milk Carton lady), and it blew my tiny mind because I didn't realize you could have multiple narrators.

Other ones:

One Plus One, by Jojo Moyes (which also is super heartwarming and the author is British!)
Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh (the author is neither white nor American!) - kind of dense but very good
Half of a Yellow Sun by Adichie if you can bear the sadness
Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters (British!)

I...thought I would have more than that. I love multiple POVs also! They're so great! But I guess not as common as I'd like them to be.
1 reply · active 508 weeks ago
Yessss so many recs. Except I'm afraid of Half of the Yellow Sun because of the sadness.
I am also a big fan of multiple POVs, but somehow can't think of any right now, what's the deal. I'm definitely looking into the titles on your list though! ALSO: the combo of unreliable narrator and multiple POVs would be SO GOOD.
1 reply · active 507 weeks ago
Yessss I was thinking about how great the unreliable narrator is with the multiple POV. SO GOOD
The Moonstone is some top class Wilkie multiple POVing and it's great! I haven't read The Woman in White so I can't really compare but I do know that The Moonstone was one of my favourite books in the year I read it. Plus, pre-2000 and British!
1 reply · active 507 weeks ago
I have actually read the Moonstone and yessss! Go Wilkie, being all awesome and whatnot

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