Plot-Moving Nested Narratives 🪹
When character reads or listens to another’s person’s story or is told a longer tale about something which then affects that character in some way. The character needs to comment on reading or listening to the story and it needs to affect their action. The nested story needs to be significantly long. Bonus if there is multiple nested narratives. Epistolary novels where multiple character write to each other also count. (This list is still work in progress, suggestions welcome.)
created by TheLibrarian
last updated November, 2025
Comments
I am currently listening to Wuthering Heights in preparation for the winter read a long, and it's largely a dude being told the story of the dude he's renting from.
Lucy Undying by Kirsten White is SO THIS.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Anne Shaffer is an epistolary novel from multiple POVs.
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed does this with diary entries, pieces by Lord Byron, and a few paintings iirc.
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis involves a woman who has almost... psychometric powers when it comes to books and absorbs the stories of the people who owned the books before. That leads her down a rabbit hole with a particular book, and informs her pursuit of those related to the one who owned the book, and then that character's experience with the book. It's hard to explain, but applies to the prompt 😅
would If on a Winter's Night a Traveler work for this? it's a story within a story and very trippy and fun!
ooo Trust by Hernan Diaz def would fit this! love this list
Just read The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels and it should fit this category!
10000 doors of January!
Gilded by Marissa Meyer might fit here The main character gets her self into trouble with lots of stories and they impact the people around her
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