Point of View

The point of view in “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” is told in first-person narration. Twenty-three year old protagonist April May is a normal young women who moved from California to New York City in order to pursue an arts degree. She received a degree in graphic design with her two good friends, Maya and Andy. The novel begins after their graduation while April works at a low-paying startup and lives with almost-girlfriend Maya. There is nothing about April that makes her particularly interesting as the main character, and in this aspect, the protagonist could almost be anyone.

April does not tell the story in real time. The novel spans out over approximately one year, and it is told by April after she has taken time to recollect and critique her past actions. She occasionally tells the reader, “I’m talking about all this now like...