--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm asking the reader to suspend reality…" description: "\"I'm asking the reader to suspend reality with me and entertain the idea that the person writing is not me. In order to do that well, I think, one needs..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/ottessa-moshfegh-8200_books_i-m-asking-the-reader-to-suspend-reality_1513774.jpg" --- # I'm asking the reader to suspend reality with me and… ![“I'm asking the reader to suspend reality with me and entertain the idea that the person writing is not me. In order to do that well, I think, one needs to point out the artifice of the narrative. Somehow if the narrator is self-aware then it's almost more humanizing and more relatable.” quote by Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/ottessa-moshfegh-8200_books_i-m-asking-the-reader-to-suspend-reality_1513774.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/ottessa-moshfegh-8200_books_i-m-asking-the-reader-to-suspend-reality_1513774.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/ottessa-moshfegh-8200_books_i-m-asking-the-reader-to-suspend-reality_1513774.jpg) > “I'm asking the reader to suspend reality with me and entertain the idea that the person writing is not me. In order to do that well, I think, one needs to point out the artifice of the narrative. Somehow if the narrator is self-aware then it's almost more humanizing and more relatable.” [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Narrative self‑awareness highlights its constructed nature, making it more relatable and human. **In simple terms:** Self‑aware storytelling feels more human. Key Takeaway Embrace narrative artifice to connect with readers. Themes fiction self‑awareness narrative authorship Mood introspective analytical Type literary experimental When to use this quote - writing workshops - literary analysis - creative exercises - author talks Key Concepts postmodernism metafiction Questions to Reflect On - How does knowing a story is constructed affect your immersion? - Do you prefer transparent or seamless narratives? 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My own growth as a member of the human race, in terms of the veils being lifted,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/what-s-inspiring-me-the-most-is-injustice-my-own-growth-as-a-member/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [“Knowledge of anything current or faddish made me feel I was just a victim of isolation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/knowledge-of-anything-current-or-faddish-made-me-feel-i-was-just-a/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [“I wanted to hold onto the house the way you'd hold onto a love letter. It was proof that I had not always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/i-wanted-to-hold-onto-the-house-the-way-you-d-hold-onto-a-love-letter/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [“Like a favorite song you’ve heard so many times it begins to annoy you,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/like-a-favorite-song-you-ve-heard-so-many-times-it-begins-to-annoy-you/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [“I watched that old world go by, away and away, gone gone gone, until, like me, it disappeared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/i-watched-that-old-world-go-by-away-and-away-gone-gone-gone-until/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [“I was nervous. 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