Point of View

Go's point of view is limited omniscient, which means the author goes into the thoughts of a limited number of characters, and knows everything those few people think. The novel unfolds principally through the eyes of the main character, Paul Hobbes, who is a literary stand-in for the author, John Clellon Holmes. When other characters enter the action, their feelings and thoughts are demonstrated by what they do and say, rather than by going into their minds.

Some chapters in Go are presented through the mind of the poet, David Stofsky. When Paul Hobbes and David Stofsky are together in a scene, Paul's viewpoint tends to take over. In any case, the story is told entirely in third person. The author never fully assumes the persona of a character by using the first person "I" to narrate the story.

Setting

The setting for almost all the...