Perspective

"The Distant Mirror" is written in third person from an omniscient perspective, the only possible option for this book. The writing is fairly straightforward though the content is often confusing simply because of the amount of information packed into the pages. The book is apparently historically accurate which means a reader who has trouble understanding particular passages has the option to search for information from other sources.

The reader who expects to read the story of Enguerrand of Coucy and his family will be disappointed. Though the life and death of Enguerrand are included in the book, it makes up only a fraction of the information. In fact, the book is basically a historical account of life in France and England during the 14th century. Without the extensive descriptions of the Coucy estate and castle, Enguerrand might actually be considered one of the minor characters of the book...