Narrators, 2016

Today, I am asking my students to reflect on their favorite narration. We will start to read Garth Stein's The Art of Racing in the Rain. It's a great family story, but it is unique in the sense that it is told from the point of view of the family dog. Their favorite narrator can be a first person narrator that is a character in the novel, or it can just be a novel whose third person perspective is unique or clever.

1. Who is your favorite narrator? What is your favorite narration?
2. Tell readers about the novel and the narration.
3. Why is this your favorite? Why might others appreciate it as well?

Last year, I wrote about Budo, from Matthew Dick's Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, who narrates the story of him and his human Max. Budo sets the record for longest living imaginary friend because Max relies on him so much. Max has autism. But when Max gets kidnapped, Budo has a decision to make. Does he choose to keep things as they are so he can exist longer? Or does Budo help Max fend for himself inevitably ending his own existence? It's a great read, and I highly recommend it.

Today, I would like to talk about John Dowell from Ford Maddox Ford's The Good Soldier. In this novel, Dowell tells the story of his encounters with Edward Ashburnham, the "good soldier" from World War I that the title references. Throughout the story, Dowell describes his family life with his wife abroad, how he meets the Ashburnhams, and how they become close friends. However, reads come to find that Dowell might not be the most reliable narrator. Through a series of flashbacks, readers discover inaccuracies and inconsistencies with overlapping tales. What happens in that Dowell is not given all of the information. He tells the story of this perfect English life, only to have readers realize that not everything is as perfect as Dowell believes (or makes himself believe). There are affairs, suicides, and more.

John Dowell is one of my favorite narrators simply because he is just so bad at it. Almost everything he says is wrong by the end of the story. I liked it so much because that style of storytelling really stood out to me as new and unique. The idea of an "unreliable narrator" is such a fascinating way to piece together a novel. It really makes you think instead of just mindlessly glancing over the pages. And think in a good way that makes it fun, not hard.