What Is An Unreliable Narrator? 9 Types Every Writer Should Know

What is an unreliable narrator? We explore the 9 types of unreliable narrator, why they work so well in fiction, and memorable examples every writer should know.

I was somewhat surprised by the success of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It seemed obvious that the author was employing the unreliable narrator technique in the story. This came as a shock to many readers and viewers, which is odd when everyone knows there are at least two sides to every story.

There is a long history of unreliable narrators in fiction. There is an even longer list in reality. They are called everyday people.

What Is An Unreliable Narrator?

An unreliable narrator is a first person (or close third person) narrator with a compromised viewpoint/point of view (POV). Read Mastering Point Of View In Writing, to understand what viewpoint means.

Narrators serve as filters for stories. What narrators do not know or experience cannot be shown to the reader. The first person or close third person narrator are powerful because their viewpoint is the only one we have to judge the events on the page. The reader believes that the narrator will be truthful and provide an accurate account of the story.

When we have an unreliable narrator, the reader cannot trust their version of the story. Theses narrators may be insane, angry, strung-out on drugs or alcohol, naïve, foreign, criminals, liars, or simply younger than everybody else. They can be comical or absurd, tragic or serious, terrifying or surreal. The one thing they have in common is that they are deceptive.

At some point in a story, the reader realises the narrator cannot be trusted. Something happens – perhaps a lie is uncovered or an identity shown to be implausible. Readers are forced to form their own opinions about the events, and the characters’ motivations, in the story. If the author has not pulled off the initial deception with enough style or enticed readers with the power of the story, they may abandon the book.

Make Sure It Works

Fiction relies on the willingness of readers to suspend disbelief. Although most of us do this, some readers jump ship when they realise that even the narrator of this make-believe world cannot be trusted. As Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye tells us, ‘I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful. If I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m going, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera. It’s terrible.’ How can we believe anything he says? But, we carry on reading.

If unreliable narrators are badly crafted, they can be obvious, manipulative, misleading, confusing, and pretentious. If they are well written, they can be powerful, clever, and fascinating.

9 Types Of Unreliable Narrators

In her post for The Guardian, Sarah Pinborough says: ‘There are, of course, different types of unreliable narrators; those who are fooling themselves, those who are fooling others, and a range in between.’

I have divided unreliable narrators into nine different types.

1. The child. Child narrators see the world through limited life experience and understanding. They may misunderstand adult situations, miss important details, or interpret events in innocent or imaginative ways. Readers often understand more than the narrator does. Examples: Jack from Room, Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn from The Adventures of Huckleberry Fynn, Natsuki in Earthlings
2. The outsider. Outsider narrators feel separated from society because of race, class, gender, sexuality, culture, politics, personality, or social isolation. Their experiences shape the way they see events, often giving readers a skewed or limited perspective. Examples: Alex from A Clockwork Orange, Nelly from Wuthering Heights, Mrs de Winter from Rebecca, Invisible Man from Invisible Man, Merricat in We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the narrator in No One Is Talking About This, Ifemelu in Americanah
3. The crazy/the disturbed. These narrators may be struggling with adolescence, addiction, trauma, grief, eating disorders, or emotional instability. Their mental and emotional state affects how they interpret reality. Lia from Wintergirls, Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye, Leonard in Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, Charlie in Girl in Pieces Rachel in Milk Fed, Alice in Beautiful World, Where Are You, Remy and Alicia in A Touch of Jen
4. The crazier/the delusional. These narrators experience hallucinations, paranoia, dementia, flashbacks, severe trauma, or distorted memories. Readers are often unsure which events are real and which are imagined. Examples: Pat Peoples from The Silver Linings Playbook, Pi Patel in Life of Pi, Chief Bromden from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Raoul Duke from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Penny in We Spread, Katharina in Kairos
5. The craziest/the unstable. These narrators suffer from serious psychological disorders, personality disorders, or severe mental illness. Their perception of reality may be deeply distorted or dangerous. Examples: The anonymous narrator in The Fight Club, the unknown schoolgirl in The Moth Diaries, Barbara Covett in Notes on a Scandal, Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, John Nash in A Beautiful Mind, Barney Panofsky  from Barney’s Version, Portnoy from Portnoy’s Complaint, Teddy Daniels in Shutter Island, Eva in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Esther Greenwood in The Bell Jar
6. The innocent. These narrators may have intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties, social communication differences, or a limited ability to process reality. They are often honest, but readers recognise truths they cannot fully understand. Examples: Forrest from Forrest Gump , Edward Bloom in Big Fish, Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Bartholomew Neil in The Good Luck of Right Now, Piranisi in Piranesi, Eleanor in Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
7. The criminal. Criminal narrators may lie to protect themselves, justify terrible behaviour, hide guilt, or manipulate readers into sympathy. They often leave out key information or blame others. They could even attempt to blame one of the other characters out of revenge. Examples: Nick and Amy from Gone Girl, John Dowell in The Good Soldier, Keyser Soze from The Usual Suspects, Nina and Isobel in Talking to the Dead, Charles Kinbote in Pale Fire, multiple epistolary entries in The Documents in the Case, June Hayward in Yellowface, Tom in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Joe Goldberg in You, Humbert Humbert from Lolita
8. The ghost. Ghost narrators exist outside ordinary reality. They may be supernatural beings, dead characters, demons, or voices from another world. Their strange perspective can make reality uncertain. Examples: Dr Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense, Jakabok Botch from Mister B. Gone, Screwtape from The Screwtape Letters, the ghost in The Turn Of The Screw, Lucifer in I, Lucifer, Susie Salmon in The Lovely Bones, Julian Diaz in Cemetery Boys, Wallace Price in Under the Whispering Door, a collage of ghosts in Lincoln in the Bardo, Maali Almeida in The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
9. The wilful liar. These narrators deliberately deceive readers. They may hide information, manipulate the story, or simply enjoy playing games with the audience. This type can fail if used badly, but when done well it creates powerful twists and surprises. Examples: Pandora in Big Brother, Briony Tallis in Atonement, Theo Faber in The Silent Patient, Shay in The Last Housewife, unnamed narrator in My Husband, Ansel in Notes on an Execution, Alex in The Guest

Can you think of any other types of unreliable narrators? Follow this link to help you find a reason for your unreliable narrator to behave badly: When crazy is good – nine good reasons for your character’s bad behaviour.

The Last Word

Unreliable narrators keep readers questioning everything they see, hear, and believe. Whether your narrator is lying, crazy, confused, young, biased, innocent, or hiding the truth, using this technique well can add tension, mystery, and emotional depth to your story.

(If you can afford it, buy the Viewpoint Workbook – a comprehensive 100-page guide to all things viewpoint. You won’t regret it.)

by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson