what is an unreliable narrator

An unreliable narrator is a storytelling device commonly found in fiction and film. This type of narrator has compromised credibility and can mislead readers or viewers, either deliberately or unwittingly. Unreliable narrators can range from children to mature characters and are typically first-person narrators, although there are arguments for the existence of unreliable second- and third-person narrators, especially in the context of film and television. They may withhold information, lie, misdirect, or misjudge with respect to the narrative audience, leading to a narrative that is not entirely truthful by the standards of their own audience. The term "unreliable narrator" was coined by Wayne C. Booth in 1961 in his book "The Rhetoric of Fiction".