Definition
An unreliable narrator is a character telling the story who, for one reason or another, cannot be fully trusted. Maybe they are lying to the reader. Maybe they are lying to themselves. Maybe they are too young, too biased, or too mentally unstable to perceive reality accurately. The magic of unreliable narration is that the reader has to read between the lines, piecing together the real story from the cracks in the narrator's version.
Why It Matters
Unreliable narrators turn reading into detective work. They force your audience to engage actively, questioning every detail and looking for the truth beneath the surface. This technique also lets you explore subjectivity, self-deception, and the messy way humans actually experience the world. When the reader finally realizes the narrator has been unreliable, it can reframe the entire story in a single moment.
Types of Unreliable Narrator
Famous Examples
Flynn gives readers two unreliable narrators and plays them against each other. Nick and Amy each distort the story, and the reader has to triangulate the truth between two liars.
Stevens narrates with formal precision while unconsciously revealing a lifetime of repressed emotion. Ishiguro's genius is that Stevens does not know he is unreliable.
Eva narrates through letters to her estranged husband, and the reader must decide how much of her account is shaped by guilt, grief, and the need to assign blame.
Humbert Humbert tries to seduce the reader with beautiful prose, justifying his crimes through eloquence. The unreliability is the point - the reader must resist the narrator's charm.
Common Mistakes
If the reader spots the lies immediately, there is no payoff. Plant the clues subtly. Let the reader feel clever for catching the inconsistencies.
If the reader has zero clues until a sudden reveal, it can feel like a cheat. Scatter enough breadcrumbs that the truth feels inevitable in retrospect.
An unreliable narrator needs motivation. Why are they lying or misperceiving? Denial, self-protection, youth, mental illness - give it a cause that ties into the story's themes.
Try It Yourself
Write a 500-word first-person account of a breakup from the narrator's perspective, where they present themselves as the wronged party. Embed three subtle details that suggest the narrator is actually the one at fault. Do not spell it out. Let the reader catch the inconsistencies on their own.
Novelium's consistency guardian can help you track what your narrator claims versus what is actually true, so your unreliability is intentional, not accidental.
Keep Your Lies Straight
When your narrator is unreliable on purpose, Novelium's consistency guardian helps you track contradictions so you can make sure every inconsistency is intentional.