How to Write an Unreliable Narrator? (With Examples)

In literature and film, the narrator is our guide, the voice we trust to deliver the story with honesty and clarity. But what happens when that narrator can't be trusted? Enter the unreliable narrator: one of the most intriguing and powerful storytelling devices in fiction.

This narrative twist can add depth, suspense, and layers of meaning to a story, challenging the audience to question what they read or see. If you're planning to write a novel, here's what you need to know!

What Is an Unreliable Narrator?

An unreliable narrator is a storyteller whose credibility is compromised. This could be intentional (they might lie, manipulate facts, or hide the truth) or unintentional, due to mental illness, age, naivety, bias, or a lack of information. The key trait is that the narrator presents a version of the story that can’t be taken at face value.

This technique forces the audience to become an active participant, piecing together the “real” story from clues, contradictions, or revelations that unfold throughout the narrative. It can transform a straightforward plot into a complex psychological puzzle. The reader becomes the detective.

The Three Signs of an Unreliable Narrator

Spotting an unreliable narrator can be subtle. Here are three classic signs that your narrator may not be trustworthy:

1. Contradictions in the Narrative

If a narrator tells the reader one thing and later contradicts it without a logical explanation, it’s often a clue that they’re not being entirely honest or self-aware.

2. Reactions from Other Characters

Sometimes, the way other characters respond to the narrator can reveal more than the narrator’s own words. Disbelief, confusion, or fear from supporting characters may indicate that what we’re being told isn’t the full story.

3. Inconsistencies in Tone or Emotion

A mismatch between the gravity of events and the narrator’s response (e.g., calm during a traumatic event or joy in the face of disaster) can signal psychological instability or intentional misdirection.

What Are the Types of Unreliable Narrators?

There are several kinds of unreliable narrators, each with unique motivations and flaws. Here are some common types:

1. The Liar

This narrator intentionally misleads the reader. Think of them as manipulative or hiding dark secrets : they know the truth but refuse to share it.

Example: Amy Dunne in Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

2. The Naïf

This narrator is innocent, inexperienced, or mentally immature. They aren’t deliberately misleading, they simply don’t understand the full reality of the events they’re describing.

Example: Christopher Boone in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

3. The Madman

Suffering from delusions, hallucinations, or psychological disorders, this narrator's version of reality is deeply distorted.

Example: The narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.

4. The Clown

This type of narrator treats serious events humorously or flippantly, often distracting the reader from the gravity of the situation.

Example: Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

5. The Withholder

This narrator deliberately omits crucial information until later in the story, creating suspense or surprise, sometimes under the guise of protection or discretion.

Example: Dr. Sheppard in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

How Do You Reveal an Unreliable Narrator?

Writing an unreliable narrator is a delicate balance between giving the audience enough to stay engaged while maintaining the element of surprise or ambiguity. Here’s how to do it effectively:

1. Use Subtle Clues

Drop small hints early on (inconsistencies, suspicious behavior, or odd phrasing) that may go unnoticed at first but make sense in retrospect.

2. Leverage Other Characters

Let other characters comment, challenge, or question the narrator’s version of events. This contrast can alert the reader that something isn’t quite right.

3. Introduce a Revealing Twist

A well-placed twist near the end of the story can cause the audience to rethink everything they’ve read or watched (a hallmark of the unreliable narrator device).

4. Play with Structure and Perspective

Nonlinear timelines, shifting points of view, or diary-style entries can lend credibility to the idea that what’s being narrated is personal and possibly flawed. I've created a structure template to help you!

5. Avoid Over-Explaining

Part of the appeal of an unreliable narrator is the mystery. Don’t overexplain their unreliability : trust your audience to figure it out through clues and context.

Examples of Unreliable Narrators in Books

Some of literature’s most compelling stories are told by narrators we ultimately can’t trust:

Humbert Humbert in Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

A self-serving narrator who tries to justify his predatory behavior. He's a cultured and articulate man and attempts to seduce the reader into sympathizing with his perspective.

How? With his elegant prose and self-pitying tone. Nabokov uses Humbert’s narration to manipulate readers, forcing them to reckon with how easily charm and language can distort morality.

Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nick presents himself as an objective and honest observer of the glittering world of Jay Gatsby. However, as the novel unfolds, it becomes clear that his account is filtered through personal bias, selective memory, and emotional involvement.

He admires Gatsby while judging others harshly and minimizes his own role in events. His unreliable nature is subtle, as it is rooted in partiality and self-delusion (and not in deception).

Patrick Bateman in American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

A narrator whose psychosis blurs the line between reality and delusion.

A wealthy Wall Street executive by day and a brutal serial killer by night (or so he says), Bateman’s increasingly erratic, violent, and surreal confessions leave readers questioning whether his crimes are real or figments of his deteriorating mind. Probably one of the most unsettling unreliable narrators in literature.

Examples of Unreliable Narrators in Movies

Cinema also embraces the unreliable narrator, often using visual cues to reinforce the deception:

Leonard Shelby in Memento (2000)

A man with short-term memory loss trying to solve a mystery, unaware of his own inconsistencies. Told in a non-linear fashion, Memento makes the audience experience Leonard’s confusion and disorientation firsthand.

Eventually, we learn that Leonard may be lying to himself, reshaping the past to give his life meaning, even at the cost of truth. His condition makes him both sympathetic and deeply untrustworthy.

Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995)

Verbal Kint narrates a complex story about a group of criminals and the elusive crime lord Keyser Söze. Throughout the film, his calm, detailed account lulls both the detective and the audience into believing him.

But in the final moments, we realize that Verbal has fabricated much of the story, borrowing names and details from objects around the interrogation room. The film’s twist ending reveals the full extent of his deception. Iconic!

Tyler Durden in Fight Club (1999)

The ultimate twist: the narrator and Durden are the same person, revealing deep psychological fragmentation.

At first, Tyler Durden appears to be the charismatic and anarchic friend of the unnamed narrator, a man disillusioned by consumer culture and insomnia. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Tyler is not a separate person at all, but a split personality, a projection of the narrator’s suppressed desires and rage.

Why Do People Like Unreliable Narrators?

Unreliable narrators challenge readers and viewers. They add complexity to the story, requiring more than passive consumption : they invite analysis, re-reading, and debate. Here’s why audiences love them:

• They offer mystery and surprise. Stories with unreliable narrators often have twists that leave lasting impressions.
• They reflect real life. In the real world, people are complex and biased and unreliable narrators echo this complexity.
• They create emotional engagement. The moment of realization (when the audience sees the truth, usually in the climax) is powerful and memorable.
• They allow exploration of taboo or dark themes. Through the distorted lens of an unreliable narrator, authors can explore morally ambiguous or disturbing territory.