Unreliable narrator
Unreliable narrator is a tag for books narrated by a protagonist who can not be trusted to give an accurate version of events although they might very well be telling the truth as they see it.
The unreliability of the narrator may not be immediately obvious and might only become apparent as the story evolves alternatively it might be clear from the outset.
The term was first was coined by the literary critic Wayne C. Booth in 1961 and has been deliberated over ever since but in 1981 William Riggan published his classification which has been accepted by many scholars although there are other definitions.
The Pícaro – The narrator is a rebel believing that their world view is superior to that of other people and uses this as a justification for their actions.
The Clown – A narrator who follows the tradition of the literary Fool twisting the truth for the sake of entertainment, irony or other purposes.
The Madman – The narrator is insane and nothing they relate can be trusted.
The Naïf – The narrator lacks knowledge of the subject mater but is invariably unaware of this.
Most Popular
