Shifting Point of View

Use this forum to discuss the September Book of the Month "Apollo's Raven" by Linnea Tanner.
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Cristina Chifane
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Shifting Point of View

Post by Cristina Chifane »

Multiple perspectives or shifting point of view is the narrative strategy Linnea Tanner chooses to tell the story of the impossible love affair between Catrin and Marcellus. Such a strategy allows her to move from one perspective to another, including the one of the antagonist, Marrock, Catrin's half brother.

Do you think this startegy may create confusion or is it an effective way to give credibility to the story?
Is it a plus or a minus for the novel?
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Post by gali »

I liked the Multiple perspectives and didn't find it confusing at all. I think it added to the story and added an interesting dimension to it. It allowed us to gather more information about the characters and the setting.
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Post by CommMayo »

I think the multiple perspectives is something that the author really gets right in this novel. It is invaluable in gaining more understanding of the motives of the extraneous characters.
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Post by Mely918 »

Personally, I'm not a big fan of shifting point of views. They tend to confuse me a lot of the times. I prefer books to stick to one point of view. I guess for me, it would depend on how the author approaches this shift as to whether I like it or not. There have been some instances where I didn't mind it as much.
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Post by Emi_Review »

I really enjoy books that shift the point of view as I get to switch between thoughts and motivations of different characters. With only one point of view, you can't tell what other characters are thinking and feeling, except from a bias and unreliable point of view from the narrator of the book. I think the shifting point of views in this book works well due to these dynamic characters and their personal motivations.
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Post by CommMayo »

Emilauren96 wrote: 01 Sep 2018, 16:10 I really enjoy books that shift the point of view as I get to switch between thoughts and motivations of different characters. With only one point of view, you can't tell what other characters are thinking and feeling, except from a bias and unreliable point of view from the narrator of the book. I think the shifting point of views in this book works well due to these dynamic characters and their personal motivations.
You hit the nail on the head with this comment. The book would be really confusing and flat if we were to only see it from the eyes of one character.
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Post by revna01 »

I think it depends on what the author is trying to accomplish. I like a single viewpoint. As long as shifting viewpoints don't create spoilers, I think it can be done well. This also gives a more intimate glimpse into the motives behind actions.
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Post by Nelsy Mtsweni »

The more, the merrier. I found the differing perspectives to be interested and added more value to the book. It is definitely a plus for the novel.
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Post by Misael Carlos »

I like shifting points of view as long as these are from the main characters only. It makes the reader dig in to their innermost thoughts and the reader appreciate the story in a deep sense.
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Post by Sydsalms »

I, personally, really like the shifting narratives. Not only does it give a new voice and perspective to the story, but it makes the storyline more interesting. It keeps me reading because I get anxious to get back to the other point of view and read what they are feeling or doing.
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Post by Kajori Sheryl Paul »

I think the shifting point of views added more credibility to the novel. It made the intentions behind the actions of the various character, be a protagonist or antagonist, more understandable.
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Post by Mindy Conahye »

I haven't yet read this book, but I figured I could weigh in on this topic. I don't like the jumping around. I just finished another book when it constantly goes back and forth in whose perspective I was reading from. I feel like it makes it hard to focus on what's going on when that happens. I prefer a story to be told from one perspective.
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Post by CommMayo »

mac83 wrote: 02 Sep 2018, 10:12 I haven't yet read this book, but I figured I could weigh in on this topic. I don't like the jumping around. I just finished another book when it constantly goes back and forth in whose perspective I was reading from. I feel like it makes it hard to focus on what's going on when that happens. I prefer a story to be told from one perspective.
I think a lot lies on how successful the author is at transitioning between the different characters' points of view. If they make smooth transitions and you know who is the new focus, I think it can work well. JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood is told from the POV of no less than twenty characters...but she does it really well and uses it as a tool to hook the reader.
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Post by Lizzie Robinson »

While I tend to prefer a singular point of view (just a personal preference), if a shifting point of view is done right it can really add to the novel. I think, given what Tanner was going for, it was a smart choice in this circumstance.
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Post by BriennaiJ »

I usually prefer it when books don't shift POVs all of the time, as it easily becomes confusing and annoying to read.
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