--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With the adult ones, I feel I need to get…" description: "\"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 b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/john-boyne-2944_adults_with-the-adult-ones-i-feel-i-need-to-get_3059281.jpg" --- # With the adult ones, I feel I need to get as deep inside… ![“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.” quote by John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/john-boyne-2944_adults_with-the-adult-ones-i-feel-i-need-to-get_3059281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/john-boyne-2944_adults_with-the-adult-ones-i-feel-i-need-to-get_3059281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/john-boyne-2944_adults_with-the-adult-ones-i-feel-i-need-to-get_3059281.jpg) > “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.” [John Boyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children 's books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-s-books/) [Children'S Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-s-books-2/) [First person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-person/) [Narrative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative/) [Narrative voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narrative-voice/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) ## Related quotes > [Actually, my character needs to be questioned. On a regular basis. 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