8 unreliable narratives you will never lose interest in!

From the classics like Lolita and Wuthering Heights to recent thrillers like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, the genre of the unreliable narrative is almost like a half-baked recipe of a bestseller. Suspense and unexpected endings excite us as readers and hence this key component of modernism churns one of the most complex yet interesting plots and characters. We have compiled a list of eight such books you can never lose interest in!

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Yann Martel’s bestselling novel, The Life of Pi, is archetypal of the unreliable narrative. The novel is a first-person narration by protagonist Piscine Molitor Patel who survives a shipwreck and sustains through 227 days stranded with a tiger on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean.

This psychological thriller by Paula Hawkins reigned at the NYT Bestseller list for 13 weeks. The novel is written in the first-person narrative from the perspective of three women. The shocking unspooling of facts that Paula Hawkins make will leave you hooked to the book till the end.

The most racy bestseller book of recent times across the globe, Gone Girl by Gillain Flynn is a suspense thriller. The suspense is built by the unreliable narrators Nick Dunne and Amy in the first half of the book. The second half unfold the realities and hidden truths.

Elizabeth is Missing is the debut novel of author Emma Healey who was brave enough to choose a narrator heroine with dementia. This unputdownable debut novel is a ‘psychological interplay’ and a perfect read for those who love the genre of unreliable narration.

This classic by Emily Bronte challenged the stern Victorian beliefs. Though the author was recognized for a powerful imagination, this classic faced a lot of criticism for its bold and unrestrained characters and plot.

Originally written for adults, this JD Salinger novel made Holden Caulfield – the protagonist, an icon for teenage rebels. This coming-of-age novel is a brilliant narration embedded with myriad timeless themes.

Held as a critique of vicious aspects of capitalism, this novel by Bret Easton Ellis maintains ambiguity and contradictions throughout the plot making the protagonist Patrick Bateman an unreliable narrator.

Written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita was a bold novel about the obsession of a middle-aged professor with a 12-year-old who after becoming her step-father gets sexually involved with her too. Since the book is a first-person narration of professor Humbert Humbert, we as readers will always be intrigued to know the story from Lolita’s angle.