Adults Quote by John Boyne
“With the adult ones, I feel I need to get as deep inside the psychology of a character as I can, and that needs to be first-person. In the children's books, I feel I need some distance. I don't want to be the nine-year-old at the center of the story. I need to have some type of narrative voice.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Author interview, The Boyne, 2015
The author prefers first‑person for adult narratives to explore deep psychology, but uses a more distant voice in children's books to avoid centering a child protagonist.
In simple terms: Adult stories need deep inner view; children's stories need narrative distance.
Key Takeaway
Choose narrative perspective based on audience age.
Themes
narrative voice
audience
character psychology
genre
storytelling
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
literary
creative‑writing
When to use this quote
- writing a novel
- editing a children's book
- teaching creative writing
- developing character arcs
Key Concepts
first‑person
third‑person
psychological depth
child perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- How does narrative distance affect reader empathy?
- When is first‑person most effective?
A Different Perspective
A distant voice may limit emotional intimacy with young readers.
![“We all are [normal]. Their idea of normal just happens to be different to some other people's idea of normal. But this is the world we live in. Some people simply cannot accept something that is outside of their experience.” quote by John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3c7/john-boyne-2944_accepting_we-all-are-normal-their-idea-of-normal-j_93959.jpg)
![“He [an earnest young reporter] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be art, the object of children's books is to whip the little rascals into shape.” quote by Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cf/katherine-paterson-2365_adults_he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-s_6101.jpg)
