Let’s Talk Bookish – How Many POVs are Too Many

Hi everyone, I hope you are all doing well! As it is once again Friday, it is time for another Let’s Talk Bookish edition. Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books and Dani @ Literary Lion. This week was a freebie, so I have decided to go all the way back to February 2020 and have chosen to discuss how many POVs is too many!

I think different POVs have become something that I have noticed more the longer that I have been reading, as I have been gradually working out what I like and what I don’t like from the books that I read. Especially as there is such a variation between books but also between genres.

Do you like books with multiple POVs, or do you prefer books with one narrator?

I like having multiple POVs as I think that it gives you a good grasp of the story and allows you to get closer to some of the other characters than only really getting to know the main central character. But I think you can only have so many different POVs before it starts to get a little bit silly and you can’t keep up with them all. I also think that it is dependent on the author’s writing style as there is no point telling people that they are following different characters, but then they all just read the same.

It also depends on the genre of book that I am reading as to whether I prefer having several POVs or just the one. For example, if I am reading a romance or a contemporary, I prefer to have only one POV as that way you get fully immersed in the character and their emotions. But if I am reading a fantasy or a science-fiction novel, I prefer to have multiple POVs, especially if the characters have been split up to accomplish different tasks.

How many is too many?

I don’t there is a maximum limit on the number of POVs there can be but it must be sensible and not become too ridiculous. If there is no need for a POV, I don’t think it should be used; there should always be a reason why we are reading from them, even if it doesn’t become clear at the beginning. I have to admit that I draw the line around ten, as that is the number of POVs that I can keep up with before getting too confused.

Are there certain books that just shouldn’t have more than 1 POV?

I don’t think there are any books that can’t have multiple POVs, but it just doesn’t make sense in some stories. For example, a first-person thriller that is all about building tension and making you terrified shouldn’t have multiple POVs unless it is almost an anonymous POV. Sometimes I think that multiple POVs can make you feel as if you don’t know all of the characters as deeply as you should, and that is really unhelpful in some books.

There you have it, my opinion on multiple POVs and whether they are necessary! What do you think, let me know in the comments below!