Short Novels: 9 Narrators You Can’t Trust – And That’s the Point

Patrick Bateman – American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Patrick Bateman is the definition of unreliable. He’s a slick Wall Street investment banker by day, but by night, he claims to be a serial killer. Or does he? As you read his chilling confessions, the lines between reality and Bateman’s fantasies blur until you’re left questioning what’s true and what’s a product of his disturbed mind. His narration is littered with narcissism, emotional detachment, and hallucinations, which amplifies the novel’s critique of 1980s consumerist culture. Bateman’s obsession with brands, appearances, and social status is so intense that it becomes almost satirical. Readers are left disoriented, never sure if his gruesome crimes actually happened or if they’re just the fever dreams of a broken psyche. This uncertainty is the point—the story forces us to stare straight at the darkness lurking beneath the surface of society and our own minds.

Chief Bromden – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Chief Bromden’s point of view is foggy, both literally and metaphorically. He pretends to be deaf and mute, giving him a unique vantage point inside the mental hospital, but his mind is clouded by years of trauma and institutionalization. Bromden narrates through a haze of paranoia, often describing the world in surreal, mechanical terms—he fears the hospital is run by a controlling entity he calls “the Combine.” Sometimes, it’s hard to tell if the events he recounts are actually happening or are vivid hallucinations. The oppressive environment of the hospital is filtered through his troubled mind, making readers feel the weight of his fear and confusion. His unreliable narration transforms the ordinary into the bizarre, amplifying the institution’s dehumanizing power. The result is a portrait of psychological oppression that’s both heartbreaking and deeply unsettling.

Humbert Humbert – Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Humbert Humbert might be literature’s most manipulative narrator. He tells his story in flowery, intellectual prose that almost hypnotizes the reader. But beneath his elegant language lies a deeply disturbing obsession with a young girl named Dolores Haze, whom he calls Lolita. Humbert constantly tries to justify his actions, painting himself as a tragic, misunderstood lover rather than the predator he truly is. This self-justification draws readers in, making them complicit in his rationalizations even as they recoil in horror. The contrast between Humbert’s charm and his reprehensible behavior is exactly what makes him so unreliable—and so compelling. The novel forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about manipulation, desire, and the way stories can be twisted to excuse the inexcusable.

The Narrator – Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

The unnamed narrator of Fight Club starts out as an everyman plagued by insomnia and existential boredom. As the story escalates, it becomes clear that he’s suffering from far deeper psychological issues, including dissociative identity disorder. His alter ego, Tyler Durden, leads him into a violent, anarchic subculture—but the narrator doesn’t realize Tyler is actually a part of himself until the novel’s shocking twist. Throughout the book, his perception of reality is so fractured that readers are kept in the dark right along with him. This unreliable narration makes the book’s critique of consumerism and masculinity even more biting. Readers are forced to question what’s real and what’s imagined, and the novel becomes a dizzying ride through the fractured psyche of its protagonist.

Pi Patel – Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Pi Patel’s story is a puzzle that invites readers to choose their own truth. After surviving a shipwreck, Pi tells two wildly different versions of his ordeal: one filled with fantastical animals and spiritual wonder, the other brutally realistic and harrowing. The ambiguity at the heart of Pi’s narrative is deliberate—he never reveals which story is “true.” This forces readers to reflect on the nature of truth itself: Is it about cold, hard facts, or about the meaning we find in stories? Pi’s unreliable narration is a meditation on faith, resilience, and the stories we tell ourselves to endure the unimaginable. The novel’s structure encourages readers to decide what they believe, making the act of reading an intimate, personal experience.

Rachel Watson – The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Rachel Watson is a narrator in pieces. Struggling with alcoholism and memory blackouts, she’s desperately trying to reconstruct the events of a crime she may or may not have witnessed. Her obsession with her ex-husband and the people she watches from the train window blurs the line between fact and fantasy. Rachel’s narration is raw, emotional, and frequently self-doubting—she doesn’t trust her own memories, and neither can the reader. This unreliability heightens the suspense and makes her a deeply sympathetic character. Her search for the truth is as much about reclaiming her life as it is about solving the mystery, making her story both a thriller and a heartbreaking portrait of addiction.

Nick Carraway – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Nick Carraway famously claims to be “inclined to reserve all judgments,” but his narration is anything but objective. He’s clearly charmed by Gatsby and less so by others, and his selective memory colors the events he recounts. Nick glosses over certain moments and presents others with vivid detail, shaping the reader’s perception of Gatsby, Daisy, and the glittering world of the Jazz Age. His unreliability isn’t malicious—it’s human. Through Nick, Fitzgerald explores how our biases and loyalties shape the stories we tell. The Great Gatsby’s enduring power comes from this ambiguity, leaving readers to wonder how much of the legendary Gatsby is myth, and how much is truth.

Christopher Boone – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Christopher Boone narrates his world with precise logic and literal interpretation—traits linked to his position on the autism spectrum. While Christopher never intentionally deceives, his understanding is limited by his inability to read social cues and emotional subtext. He interprets situations in a straightforward way, often missing the bigger picture or misreading people’s intentions. This makes his version of events both uniquely insightful and incomplete. Christopher’s narration invites readers to see the world through his eyes, appreciating his intelligence and honesty while recognizing the limitations of his perspective. The novel uses his unreliability not to deceive, but to broaden our understanding of truth and perception.

Briony Tallis – Atonement by Ian McEwan

Briony Tallis is haunted by a mistake she made as a child—a misunderstanding that spirals into a tragedy affecting everyone around her. As she grows older, Briony attempts to atone by rewriting her version of events, even admitting that parts of her story are made up. Her narration is layered, filled with guilt, longing for forgiveness, and a desperate need to control the narrative of her own life. Briony’s unreliability turns the novel into a meditation on memory, storytelling, and the possibility (or impossibility) of redemption. Her willingness to admit her fabrications challenges readers to question how much of any story—even one told in good faith—can truly be trusted.