4. Does Bud’s Self‑Criticism Affect His Reliability as a Narrator?

Join us for a discussion of I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney, a darkly funny novel that begins when an obituary writer opens the paper and discovers his own death, forcing him to confront his life, choices, and what it really means to be alive.
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smkelly
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Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2025 7:35 pm

4. Does Bud’s Self‑Criticism Affect His Reliability as a Narrator?

Post by smkelly »

Despite being incredibly critical of himself, Bud seems to be well-liked by many of the people around him.

Did Bud’s self-perception make you question his trustworthiness as a narrator?
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JudyT
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Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2026 7:31 pm

Re: 4. Does Bud’s Self‑Criticism Affect His Reliability as a Narrator?

Post by JudyT »

I do think so, a bit. When reading the book, I did find myself wondering if Bud was seeing things as they really were. But I also wondered if understatement was just part of his sense of humor, like maybe he did have a full understanding but was downplaying to be humorous.
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TJ_LibbyReads_2026
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2026 9:38 pm

Re: 4. Does Bud’s Self‑Criticism Affect His Reliability as a Narrator?

Post by TJ_LibbyReads_2026 »

So many adults are self-deprecating that I found his self-criticism authentic.
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gmendicino
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Joined: Thu May 15, 2025 4:49 pm

Re: 4. Does Bud’s Self‑Criticism Affect His Reliability as a Narrator?

Post by gmendicino »

TJ_LibbyReads_2026 wrote: Tue Jul 21, 2026 9:42 pm So many adults are self-deprecating that I found his self-criticism authentic.
I couldn't agree more. I feel like his "outer voice" was purposefully deflective, but his "inner voice" was very honest.
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