Point of View

Ransom Riggs tells his novel “Library of Souls” in the third-person limited-omniscient perspective. This is done for at least two reasons. First, the peculiar world in which Jacob and Emma pursue Caul is one of fantasy and things unknown to readers. The third-person narrator not only guides the plot, but also extends important information to readers. This allows the story and the information to flow succinctly through the objective standpoint of a third-person narrator. In the first-person, the story would have to be interrupted for the narrator to explain important information as an aside, but in the third-person in the novel, information and plot blend seamlessly. Second, the limited-omniscient aspect of the narrative adds a sense of realism and suspense to the plot as both characters and readers never know what is coming next. This creates depth and confusion as to the true identity of...