fuonlyknew

Three Voices, No Single Truth

Seth Margolis

My new novel, FOR SHE HAD EYES, is told from three perspectives, none of them entirely reliable. As the story unfolds, readers begin to see how each character deceives not only others, but also themselves … and, at times, the reader. That’s the thrill of an unreliable narrator: realizing you may have been misled and piecing together the truth on your own.

Of course, writing from three perspectives is far less thrilling than reading it. I had to keep a constant mental ledger of each character’s actions and motivations, revisiting earlier scenes in light of new information while avoiding the trap of repetition. Each revelation needed to deepen the story, not stall it.

Creating three distinct voices was another challenge. I wanted readers to immediately recognize whose perspective they were in—without relying on clunky reminders or labels.

Perhaps most difficult of all was crafting three characters who, while far from exemplary, remain relatable and even sympathetic. That’s always a challenge, but it becomes even more complex when the characters don’t particularly like each other – and when I deliberately avoid inserting an omniscient authorial voice to guide the reader’s judgment.

So why choose such a demanding structure? In some ways, it chose me. I set out to write a story very (very) loosely inspired by Othello, the Shakespeare tragedy that left the deepest impression on me. I wanted to give Desdemona – Danni, in my version – more agency, to make her more than a passive victim. But telling the story solely through her eyes didn’t feel right. To fully explore the dynamics at play, I needed Oliver (Othello) and Ivan (Iago) to speak as well.

And then there’s the twist at the end—one that upends everything that came before and, to be honest, surprised even me.

Did I succeed in creating three unreliable narrators, each worthy of some sympathy? I’ll let you decide. Tell me what you think at sethjmargolis@gmail.com

Seth has written and published several novels, including LOSING ISAIAH, which was adapted as a feature film starring Halle Berry and Jessica Lange, and, most recently, THE SEMPER SONNET. He lives with his wife, Carole, in New York City. They have two grown children, Maggie and Jack. Seth received a BA in English from the University of Rochester and an MBA in marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business Administration. When not writing fiction, he is a branding consultant for a wide range of companies, primarily in the financial services, technology and pharmaceutical industries. He has written articles for the New York Times and other publications on travel and entertainment.