10-10-2011, 07:20 PM
I read a lot, but frankly I'm not versed on the different perspectives and their uses. I prefer the omniscient 'god' mode of writing. First person fiction is ok from time to time, but I like to know what everyone involved is thinking and feeling. Perhaps a little more mystery is possible in the first person, however. It allows the author to put the reader in the protaganist's (sometimes) ignorant state.
Certain limitations of first person are hard to deal with though. As Jack points out, dialogues in the first person sometimes can seem contrived either because of flowery poetic language; fast-paced, uber intelligent 'Gilmore-Girl-speak' or from an overly presumptious use of dialect. Mark Twain wrote a few of his lighter works in the first person and it seemed to work fine for me, but generally speaking I would rather read an omniscient point of view.
Certain limitations of first person are hard to deal with though. As Jack points out, dialogues in the first person sometimes can seem contrived either because of flowery poetic language; fast-paced, uber intelligent 'Gilmore-Girl-speak' or from an overly presumptious use of dialect. Mark Twain wrote a few of his lighter works in the first person and it seemed to work fine for me, but generally speaking I would rather read an omniscient point of view.