As the title suggested, is it possible to have a novel with both 1st person and 3rd person or is it just not possible? *If this thread is already created/not in the right location, feel free to delete or move it. ^^
I think this, or variations have been discussed in the past, but it is a common concern with writers it seems. Yes, you can do it. It just depends on how well you write it and the transitions so that it doesn't jar the reader out of the story. There should be a good reason for it, not just because it is 'easier' to tell the story to the reader or you cannot immediately figure out a way to get information to the reader you, as the author, think is necessary for the reader to understand the story. I used a small amount of 3rd person in my first person POV novel, Flank Hawk. At the beginning of the 2nd and chapters up until about 3/4 of the way through the novel, I have what I call 'chapter starts' that follow a different time line than the main action in the novel, but the two stories merge about 3/4 of the way through the novel. In addition, I worked so that some of the chapter starts' contents echoed and/or foreshadowed what was going on in the in the novel--not directly but enough to make a difference. That is just one instance, and it seemed to have worked for me. So, in your instance, Animefans12, it may be appropriate and work well too. Only you, as the author, can know for sure. Good luck as you move forward. Terry
Right now I'm reading "Caught" by Harlan Coben. (great book, btw). The prologue starts in first person, then switches to third person and another character a while later. So yeah, you can do it.
I think Christine by Stephen King switched from first person to third person and back to first person.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy of novels - brilliant read by the way - is written from the POVs of the spirit Bartimaeus and the humans Nathaniel and Kitty (Kitty only in the second and third books). Bartimaeus' point of view is written in first person; the others' are written in third person. If you are switching characters then it is perfectly fine to switch between first and third person. I don't know how it would work with the same character speaking in different persons (persons?) unless it is changed for a prologue or epilogue, as WriterDude mentioned.
Of course you can. The main difficulty in my experience is in timing & crafting the transitions, which can be pretty disorienting to the reader if not well-done. Otherwise, yeah, it's definitely possible & affords the narrative significantly more flexibility in POV.
L.E. Modesitte did it in one of his Recluse novels, The Death of Chaos. The MC's POV was written in first person. When he switched to another character's POV he wrote it in third person.
Novel with First and Third Person Bitter Angels by C.L. Anderson is a prime example of First Person and Third Person mixed. Some characters were in first, others in third. I found the story itself to be interesting but confusing to keep up with the POV's.
In House of Night, only Zoey's POV was in first person, and the lesser characters used third person POV. So, by all means, go ahead.
James Patterson's Alex Cross is always in the first person. Everyone else is in the third person. So yes, you can do it.
Personally, I think it depends on how you handle it. For example, in her short stories Angela Carter (The Bloody Chamber) often switches her narrative perspective, and she makes use of first, second and third person perspectives. In her stories she does this in a way to create a sense of ambiguity and mystery, and in most cases this works well. However, in some of her stories I personally think it causes confusion, and distracts from the story rather than adding to it. I would advise that, if you are going to use a switching narrative, you need to work out why, and at all times make sure the reader knows who the narrator is - unless of course your desired effect is ambiguity. Hope this helps.
