Unusual Narrators

We’re looking at unusual narrators and viewpoints today. They say there are only ever seven basic plots in the world and that every story you read, you’ll have heard before. That may be so, but we’re fairly sure you won’t have heard it from these points of view before.

The Bees by Laline Paull

Quite possibly one of the strangest premises you’re likely to hear: a dystopian, totalitarian society set in a hive of bees. That bee-ing said, this is actually a fantastically engrossing read, with elements reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Flora 717 is born into the lowest social class within her hive, displaying abnormalities which would normally see her destroyed. Instead she finds herself precariously climbing the hierarchy of the hive. When she breaks the most fundamental law of all, will the enemies she has made in her ascent finally catch up to her?

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

A tale of murder, deceit and betrayal told from the point of view of… an unborn foetus. The nine-month-old inhabitant of Trudy’s womb acts as a witness as she leaves her husband for his brother and the two contrive a deadly plot. The baby is at once omniscient and all seeing, and unsurprisingly completely naïve to the ways of the world. A refreshingly new look on the genre.

Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker

Told from not one unique point of view, but several. Anatomy of a Soldier is told from the perspective of various inanimate objects soldier Tom Barnes encounters after he steps on an IED, losing both his legs. From the bag of blood being used in a transfusion to the money in an compensation pack, the objects cross Tom’s path in a variety of ways to tell the story of his injury, his recovery and of his life.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Here is a small fact. You are going to die.

This rather chilling quote is from the opening page of Markus Zusak’s novel about a young girl living in Nazi Germany in 1939. Death and destruction are all around so it is rather fitting that the book is narrated by death. Be prepared for an emotional punch with this one. The ending in particular might leave you in tears.

Some of our books are unusual narrators too. As the title suggests, The Peregrinations of Pablo's Penis by Pria Pims is told from the point of view of a young man’s penis as it narrates his life to us. Or what about Take Note by Gill Burnett? Although told from a third person perspective, it follows the journey of one ten pound note as it passes from person to person, effecting each person it encounters along the way.