I just finished Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz and it has a rather unusual structure in that it is >!a story within a story.!< I picked up this book on a chance recommendation and didn’t know anything about it so this was quite an interesting experience. Took me a moment to realize what is happening.
This got me wondering. What other books have an unusual structure?
by bahromvk
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The example that always comes to my mind is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that the story is told out of order, which I remember confused a lot of my classmates when we read it in high school. I think it’s a fabulous technique when done well, though, because it really pulls you into the world and the characters before you understand what the story is really about.
House of Leaves is infamous for being uniquely presented. It’s somewhat of a choose-your-own storybook.