I have been reading the short novel “Manon Lescaut” by Abbe Prevost,
about a young theological student of noble descend that falls madly (and
one can say blindly) in love with a woman (or rather a girl) whose
character is mysterious to him, and to the reader.
The story itself is fascinated, maybe a little too romantic for my taste, but what has puzzled me the most is the narrator and the style of narration. The story is told from the perspective of the lover, while he is describing the adventures to a stranger traveler in some small inn or tavern. This story was written in the 18th century and has all the characteristics of the style of writing of that time. The chronology is linear and logical and very clear as to what it wants to portray.
What is that puzzles me is the credibility of the narrator and the narration. I can’t decide whether this is the case of an unreliable narrator or not. I’m short in time right now to provide a full argument as to why I have this dilemma, but I would love to get some insight regarding the type of the narrator.
If you have anything to say, please comment.
The story itself is fascinated, maybe a little too romantic for my taste, but what has puzzled me the most is the narrator and the style of narration. The story is told from the perspective of the lover, while he is describing the adventures to a stranger traveler in some small inn or tavern. This story was written in the 18th century and has all the characteristics of the style of writing of that time. The chronology is linear and logical and very clear as to what it wants to portray.
What is that puzzles me is the credibility of the narrator and the narration. I can’t decide whether this is the case of an unreliable narrator or not. I’m short in time right now to provide a full argument as to why I have this dilemma, but I would love to get some insight regarding the type of the narrator.
If you have anything to say, please comment.
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