Good Books From a Guy's POV

I've been trying so hard to write a story from a guy's point of view. Bottom line: My writing becomes worse than it already is. I was wondering, has anyone read a well-written fiction book from a guy's POV? And, it would have to be a book with lots of interaction with other people. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Hal.

Harry Potter?

Yeah, the Harry Potter books were good. But, I'm looking for something in first person. Thanks, though. ^^

Try Johnathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. About half the books are written first-person point of view for Bartimaeus, a wise-cracking jinni (whom you will love), and a good portion is written (3ed person but still very useful) from the point of view of Nathaniel, who is, respectively about 12, 14, and 16 during the course of the books.

Good luck!

The Darren Shan books are, I'm pretty sure, in first person, and they're from a guy's POV.

Just let me check if these books are in first person ...*runs off to look*

Yep. 'Falling into Glory' by Robert Westall and 'The Toll Bridge' by Aidan Chambers.

Falling into Glory is one of the best young adult books I've ever read about a boy who falls in love with his teacher.

The Toll Bridge, as it suggests, is about a guy who goes to work on a toll bridge and this strange guy Adam who shows up in his life.

They're both brilliant books. I was going to suggest 'Postcards from No Man's Land' which is also by Aidan Chambers, because it is written mostly in third person limited, so it's kind of in a guy's POV, but not first person. It's good too though.

Adrian Mole. Written by a Woman in a boy's POV. Children's books, but fun.

What age?

Uhmm. It's Kind Of A Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, The Book of Dead Days by Markus Sedgwick and right now I'm re-reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Kavalier and Clay has two male POVs.

What kind of story are you writing, exactly? It might be easier to name books with a similar concept, it might be more helpful too.

*plug* Check out the Gender Benders usergroup! It's basically a group of people who write from guys' POVs, so. XD

If you're looking for teen fiction (stars are the ones that I loved from a literary standpoint):

•Looking for Alaska and An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green (read them simply because you're a human being)
King Dork, by Frank Portman
Geography Club, by Brent Hartinger
Invisible, by Pete Hautman

Child and/or young adult male POVs, or partially from a guy:

•Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Johnathan Safran Foer (protagonist is nine)
•The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Díaz (one of the POVs is a guy, first person)
Mysterious Skin, by Scott Heim (protagonists are teenagers, but the content is rather not)

PM me if you have any questions about it--I have just the opposite problem. I can't write a girl's POV to save my life. XD I like to think I'm okay with guys, though, so poke me if you want me to take a look at something or want to discuss. ^_^

I really liked the Sword-Dancer saga, if you're into fantasy. The entire series (written by a woman) is from the perspective of Tiger, a 30-something swordfighter. It's really cool because he grows a lot throughout the series. Believe me, if I were to tell you the ending of the last book after you read the first one (which I wouldn't), you would laugh me off. As far as interaction goes, this guy meets all types of people, from slaves and bandits to queens and councilmen.

The Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell.
The Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forrester
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Samuel Clements (Mark Twain)
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

gyrfalcon wrote:Try Johnathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. About half the books are written first-person point of view for Bartimaeus, a wise-cracking jinni (whom you will love), and a good portion is written (3ed person but still very useful) from the point of view of Nathaniel, who is, respectively about 12, 14, and 16 during the course of the books.

Good luck!

Yeah, that's what I was going to suggest. Amazing books.

Oh, the Pendragon books are first person, I think. Those are also really good.

So yeah, Bartimaeus and Pendragon, by D. J. MacHale. (The first is called Merchant of Death.)

I have to say Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov, simply because you should read that anyway, and it happens to meet the requirements

I would have to agree with the Bartimaeus trilogy, Bartimaeus is an amzing narrator, I don't know how you can't love him, and definitely "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4" and the rest of the Adrian Mole series, by Sue Townsend.

Other than that... hm... wow, it's weird that I can't think of any. I could give you close 3rd person ones, but I can't think... um...