I am a fan of the first-person point of view. Lately, my personal writing has taken this form, and while there is plenty I can praise about the third-person POV and its merits as well, lately I’m finding myself drawn to stories told through the eyes of the main character (or someone close by). Unlike short stories which tend to be more evenly balanced, third-person narratives dominate the novel landscape these days. However, once in a while I come across a compelling story that is told in this refreshing and intimate style, a tale recounted by a narrator who is unafraid to qualify things in his or her own idiosyncratic ways. What follows is my Top 15 List of First-Person Perspective Novels.
#15 - A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Love, war, and no dialogue attribution.
#14 – The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
A bus, a trip to heaven, and a Scotsman for a guide.
#13 – Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
A river, a raft, and a bunch of nonesuch.
#12 – Silence by Shusaku Endo
A missionary, a betrayer, and a God.
#11 – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A precocious girl, a heroic lawyer, and a guy named Boo.
#10 – Free Bird by Greg Garrett
A convertible, a haunted man, and good music.
#9 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Rich people, a green light, and more rich people.
#8 – The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
A spy, an atheist, and some other days of the week.
#7 – The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
A discontented man, an existential search, and some womanizing.
#6 – Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
A bottomed-out writer, a brilliant suicide risk, and a dead dog in a trunk.
#5 – Godric by Frederick Buechner
A rebellious young man, a conversion, and some pet snakes.
#4 – Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
A runaway son, a miracle-working father, and a lot of cowboy poetry.
#3 – A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
A draft-dodger, a little person, and a killer baseball.
#2 – The Brothers K by David James Duncan
An incredible pitcher, his four sons, and Seventh Day Adventism run amok.
#1 – Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
A dying minister, a prodigal son, and a one-eyed abolitionist.
There you have it. Any you think I have woefully forgotten to include on this list? Let me know…
