Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[eric11210]

Hey all,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but I have a question. Or rather more an observation.

Ever since I started writing and started posting my work here and other places, one thing that I've been told again and again and again is to avoid third omni narration of a story. Or if doing it, to at least minimize the jumping between people.

I just started reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I'm wondering how he managed to do it. I admit, I am confused at times because he jumps from one person's thoughts to the next to the next. And yet somehow everyone seems to love this book.

Any thoughts on this? Is this the exception that proves the rule?

Or is it just that some people can't stand it and others love it?

Eric

[IdiotsRUs]

Pratchett does it too.

The thing is ( i think) is that the narrator should have a strong indiviual voice. Easy to say, hard to do.

[Devil Ledbetter]

The thing is ( i think) is that the narrator should have a strong indiviual voice. Easy to say, hard to do.Yes, a strong narrative voice is important.

Rumors that omni should be avoided are greatly exaggerated. If it works for a story, then it's working. It's not the easiest POV to use, and unnecessary or jarring headhops should be avoided, but omni can work, and often does.

[dempsey]

Everybody has opinions on tense and POV.

Certain tenses and certain POVs are hard, which is why it's generally suggested that newbies avoid them.

But in the end, if you can make it work, go for it. Just don't talk like you're making it work until you pull it off. Until then, you're "experimenting."

[David I]

Any time you see a "avoid this" rule, it usually means that it is difficult.

Oh, there's a few people who take these rules as if they were engraved in stone, and proceed to like or dislike books because they do or don't conform to those rules. But those people are idiots.

Anpther thing to keep in mind: Comedy is a very special form. Things that can be irritating in dramatic fiction--overt, opinionated telling, head-hopping, or adverb-laden, non-'said' dialogue tags--can all work very well when the purpose is to make the reader laugh.

Most fiction strives to be somewhat unobtrusive. Comedy is anything but.

[Smiling Ted]

Anpther thing to keep in mind: Comedy is a very special form. Things that can be irritating in dramatic fiction--overt, opinionated telling, head-hopping, or adverb-laden, non-'said' dialogue tags--can all work very well when the purpose is to make the reader laugh.

Most fiction strives to be somewhat unobtrusive. Comedy is anything but.

Spot on.
Pratchett and Adams work because their Third Person Omniscient is also Third Person Rather Humorous.

The Vogon ships hovered above the Earth in exactly the way that bricks don't.

[IdiotsRUs]

The Vogon ships hovered above the Earth in exactly the way that bricks don't.

One of my fave all time lines....

[Judg]

Just finished Bel Canto which is written from an omniscient POV, head hops continually and is absolutely marvellous. And it is not comedy by any stretch of the imagination.

[IceCreamEmpress]

Hitchhiker's Guide was originally a radio play, so it's not always the most novelistic of novels.

"One POV character per scene" is a really, really good rule to remember.

I love 3rd person narrative both as a reader and a writer, but I don't write narrative where the overarching narrative voice talks to the reader (though I love it when it's done well, as Pratchett does!)

[benbradley]

Any time you see a "avoid this" rule, it usually means that it is difficult.

Oh, there's a few people who take these rules as if they were engraved in stone, and proceed to like or dislike books because they do or don't conform to those rules. But those people are idiots.

Anpther thing to keep in mind: Comedy is a very special form. Things that can be irritating in dramatic fiction--overt, opinionated telling, head-hopping, or adverb-laden, non-'said' dialogue tags--can all work very well when the purpose is to make the reader laugh.

Most fiction strives to be somewhat unobtrusive. Comedy is anything but.

That's an excellent point and I also think comedy substantially lowers the bar on the reader's "willing suspension of disbelief" or whatever it's called. No author in his right mind would attempt to title a serious science fiction novel as "The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe." If you know what I mean.:)

[Jenifer]

Best. Book. EVAR. :D

He could do it because he was brilliant. I think it's about knowing your limits and/or learning to get past them.

[AdamH]

Anpther thing to keep in mind: Comedy is a very special form. Things that can be irritating in dramatic fiction--overt, opinionated telling, head-hopping, or adverb-laden, non-'said' dialogue tags--can all work very well when the purpose is to make the reader laugh.

Another good example of this is THE GUN SELLER by Hugh Laurie (from House). Funnier than your average bear and as dry as a martini in Nevada.

[blacbird]

If somebody notices your POV structure, and finds it objectionable, you're probably not doing it well enough.

caw

[bluntforcetrauma]

Just finished Bel Canto which is written from an omniscient POV, head hops continually and is absolutely marvellous. And it is not comedy by any stretch of the imagination.

Which just goes to show that rules of writing are rather silly.

[HourglassMemory]

adams is omniscient is omniscient in a humurous way.
It's sort of this nonsense-humour which I guess is one of the favourite things that people point out.
Like the whale and the flower falling from the sky and the whale wondering about who she is, having this existensial discussion with itself, and that she calls the ground "ground" and that the only thing the flower thinks of is "Oh, not again".

The way he starts the series is also interesting.
He talks about this woman who finally found the meaning of life and that, thanks to her conclusion there wouldn't be any more wars and the like.
And then he says "This is not her story".

I've only read one Prattchet novel "Small Gods" and there are a few things like that, but they're not as out of nowhere nonsense as adams does. I think.
But what do I know of Pratchett, I've only read one novel.

[Toothpaste]

Adams is my idol, and you can so tell if you read my stuff. I wish I was him. Or at least a really good friend of his. This might sound crazy, but when I watch the film of the book, when his name comes up in the credits I get teary eyed (also when they show his face at the end). I regret the fact that I never got to meet him soooo much.

Oh. This was a thread about switching POV. Um . . . yeah, he's good at it.

Sorry, just felt like talking about my patron saint. :)

[jessicaorr]

I think it worked for Adams because he was brilliant. The book wouldn't be as good if written in any other POV, so that's what he did. You've got to use what POV works best for your story.

And yeah, Adams rocks. He's on my writer saint shelf :D

[cmyk]

Sometimes one of my writers comes into my office and says something like "I tried something different. I don't know if it works."

After I pointedly look at the clock and narrow my eyes at them and the nonverbal crawl of obscenities makes itself perfectly obvious, we usually laugh.

My feeling is: If you can REALLY make it work, you can have it. If it comes across as self concious or confusing, it's not working.

Has anyone read "How late it was, how late"? That's a Booker prize winner you could debate for hours. Not my favorite book, but I think it works.

[Charlie Horse]

Certainly if you've mastered the craft as well as Adams or Pratchett by all means have a go at it. Even if you haven't but feel compelled to write 3rd omni, give it a shot. Experimentation never hurts unless you're looking for a way to electrically charge your nipples.

[Willowmound]

Hitchhiker's Guide was originally a radio play, so it's not always the most novelistic of novels.

If we wanna be accurate, the Hitchhiker novels are based on a radio play. They're not adaptations. Adams said as much.

[johnzakour]

When you're Douglas Adams the rules (if there really are any rules) don't really matter. When you're good you're good.