4 novels that let you live inside someone else’s head

Here are four novels that attempt to capture human thought through prose and stream of consciousness

Written by Anosha Rishi Kakanadan

Updated: August 25, 2025 11:50 AM IST

3 min read

Book covers of Agua Viva, The Book of Disquiet and Good Morning, Midnight

Stream-of-consciousness narration attempts to capture the elusive nature of human thought by expressing unfiltered and imperfect introspections in first-person, a narration akin to crawling into a character’s head.

What does it mean to be inside the mind of a character? Stream-of-consciousness narration attempts to capture the elusive nature of human thought by expressing unfiltered and imperfect introspections in first-person, a narration akin to crawling into a character’s head. Here are four novels that attempt to capture human thought through prose:

Agua Viva

Agua Viva, which translates to ‘Living Water’, written by Clarice Lispector is an attempt to capture the present. (Source: Amazon.in)

Agua Viva (Penguin Classics, pages 112, Rs 399), which translates to ‘Living Water’, written by Clarice Lispector is an attempt to capture the present. The novel doesn’t follow a conventional form, instead opting for a narration without structure, chapters or sections, that is led only by the narrator’s inner monologue. Lispector’s lyrical prose reflects the elusive nature of the present and all the mundane things that comprise of the now.

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The Book of Disquiet

Fernando Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet can be described as the subversion of a novel. (Source: Amazon.in)

Fernando Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet (Penguin Classics, pages 560, Rs 699) can be described as the subversion of a novel. Unlike the ceaseless flowing prose in Agua Viva, The Book of Disquiet is fragmented and fractured, but equally poetic. The novel consists of fragments written by the narrator reflecting on various philosophical themes and the mundane aspects of life. Through its fragmented prose, the novel reflects the disorderly nature of human thought which often leaps from one subject to another, often incomplete and elusive.

Good Morning, Midnight

Written by Jean Rhys, Good Morning, Midnight features the inner monologue of Sasha, an Englishwoman that returns to Paris after a long time away. (source: amazon.in)

Written by Jean Rhys, Good Morning, Midnight (Penguin Classics, pages 176, Rs 499) features the inner monologue of Sasha, an Englishwoman that returns to Paris after a long time away. As she wanders through the city, eating brunch in cafes, strolling in parks, and drinking in bars, she reflects on her life and experiences. Haunted by grief, personal failures, and lost love, the novel explores the struggles of a woman trying to reconcile with her past and the world around her.

Waves

Renowned for its use of stream of consciousness, reading this novel feels like witnessing an orchestration of minds, as the characters talk around one another. (source: amazon.in)

The Waves (Rupa Publications India, pages 232, Rs 195) follows the lives of six characters from childhood to old age. Told entirely through their inner monologues, the characters reflect on concepts such as identity, and time. Renowned for its use of stream of consciousness, reading this novel feels like witnessing an orchestration of minds, as the characters talk around one another. Essentially, The Waves is a reflection on life told through six interweaved voices creating an unconventional and captivating narrative

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