Mixing first and third person

[RVM45]

.....I'm working on a novel where about half the chapters are presented in the first person, by the main protagonist. The balance switch between several characters- one per chapter- and are in the third person. I reasoned that since all the viewpoint characters end up together, fighting on the same side by the end, that at some point each had told his story to the viewpoint charachter; and he'd was simply relaying their acccounts in the third person- though at no point do I mention this. It is simply assumed.

.....Thing is: it seems a rather simple idea; but I can't remember ever encountering this device before. Am I missing some kind of deal-breaking drawback?

.....Thanks for your comments.


.....RVM45

 

[Rhodry]

[SIZE=-1] Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud did something similar to what i think your dicribing and it worked really well
[/SIZE]

 

[the_faery_queen]

ellen kushner did that in privildge of teh sword. part of it was katherines' first person point of view, the rest third. it worked well.

 

[Talysia]

I've seen a mix of both first and third person in Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori trilogy, and it does work rather well.

 

[Ursa major]

Ken MacLeod used it for one of the two storylines in the novel Cosmonaut Keep.

 

[RVM45]

.....Thanks guys, that was reassuring.

.....RVM45