PH
An unreliable narrator doesn't necessarily mean every sentence they say is false.
Instead, the narrator's understanding, memory, judgment, or interpretation may be incomplete or distorted.
The reader gradually notices inconsistencies between what the narrator says and what the story suggests.
This creates an unusual relationship between reader and narrator.
Instead of simply receiving information, the reader has to evaluate it.
The narrator may genuinely believe their version of events.
That makes the technique more complicated than simply having a character who intentionally lies.
The story effectively asks the reader to become an investigator of the storyteller.
© Purdue Online Writing Lab