Which is better (or preferred) … stories with multiple character points of view? Or stories that stick to just one or two at most? And, why?
For me, it really depends on the story itself, and a lotta context. I think especially of “team books” in comics–X-Men or the Justice League or Teen Titans–and with those, I would want numerous characters’ points of view…it’s how we’d really get to “know” the characters.
At the same time, if a character has a “solo book,” I’m more inclined to want things from that character’s point of view (the the occasional one-off issue switching things up isn’t bad, though).
As I type this, I realize it also depends on the point of view of the narration…a comic “checking in on” numerous characters (X-Men, Justice League, etc) giving us “omniscient” views of characters all over the place is a much different thing than getting an entire story from the limited point of view of only one character, who can’t tell us exactly what another character is thinking or remembering or whatever.
I’ve begun reading Allegiant, the latest book in the Divergent series, and I’m not liking the chapter by chapter changeup between two characters’ point of view. Just as I’m getting the “feel” for the progression of story from one character, it changes and the “I _____” or “my ______” references are totally changed, and it’s taking me out of the story.
I like the Song of Ice and Fire books (Game of Thrones and later books), and those do a chapter-by-chapter changeup as well, but it’s not as rough to transition as it’s not the characters talking to me as a reader.
Filed under: Booking Through Thursday, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: booking through thursday | Leave a comment »
