Fiction and narrative

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised, so the reader must judge what is true.

Detailed Explanation

An unreliable narrator may lie, misremember, or fail to understand. The gap between what the narrator says and what the reader suspects creates meaning.

Original Example · written for TassandraInk

I have always told this story honestly, except for the parts I have forgotten, which is all of it.

Related Terms

Narrator, Point of View, Irony

Sources and further reading

—Academy of American Poets: Glossary
—Britannica: Literature

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