Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I'm looking for a very specific kind of multiple POV book: one with really fluid changes in who "holds the camera."

I've read plenty of books where the perspective shifts from one chapter to another or where perspective shifts are marked by breaks in the text. This is not what I am looking for right now. What I'm trying to find are books where the perspective changes mid-scene or in otherwise fluid ways.

My WIP has multiple POVs and I am currently working on tightening the perspectives. That said, I still want to maintain fluidity to jump from one character's mind to another in a given conversation. But I'm worried that this can't be done well.

Just looking for some proof that I am not trying to do the impossible.

Thanks!

"The Great Fire" by Shirley Hazzard

Hmm, Joe Abercrombie's "The First Law" Trilogy has several main characters that have their POV's used. Each Chapter has a different character's POV, which I found pretty neat and sometimes the POV changes mid-flow.

Ann Patchett's Bel Canto. I knew I'd think of it eventually! Modern day omniscient that is considered well done and not accused of being out-dated or head hopping.

Cum Laude by Cecily Von Zeigesar. (though I found it distracting.)

I'd like to second Ann Patchett's Bel Canto. One of my favorite books, it's so well done. There are a ton of points of view in this book.

I'm reading The Passage right now by Justin Cronin and I'm not finished with it but it has jumped between POVs pretty well.

I have to say this is not my favorite style, cause to me it seems more awkward than breaking the text. But the 'Song of the Lioness' series by Tamora Pierce I would say does it fairly well.

CV

Toni Morrison in Beloved does the best at multiple POVs I've read, I think. It's a bizarro read, but it's a nobel prize winner, too.

P.G. Wodehouse does it all the time in his books, and sometimes it works great, sometimes not. He switches POV at a much greater frequency than most I've read.

I guess it depends what you like. I just finished Nora Roberts Three Sisters Island Trilogy and The Circle Trilogy and in all six books she jumps from 4-6 POV's. And she does it well ;-)

Good luck!

~JD

Nora Roberts and Judith McNaught are the reigning Queens of head hopping---they do it well, and often, and their fans love it....but people who hate head hopping can't stand their books. There is a way to do it well, but some folks still won't like it.