Point of View

The point of view of the short story collection is a third-person, omniscient narrator. In the nine stories, main characters from one story appear as supporting characters in others. Some stories focus primarily on one character, such as the widow in “The Party,” Pigeon in “The Pigeon,” and David in “The Flat.” All three of these characters appear in other stories or are referenced. In “The Story.” Pigeon and the widow are both referenced, but neither appear.

The narrator is reliable and portrays the characters in frank and, at times, explicit situations. The narrator wants the reader to have an unvarnished look at the characters. Frank and Tommy do drugs and have sex throughout “The Sweat.” In “The Flat,” David has sex with several men and becomes obsessed with graphic, sexual photos of the previous occupants of his flat. Characters are often naked in the...