Point of View

Howard Norman tells his novel My Darling Detective in the first-person reflective narrative mode from the point of view of Jacob. Jacob tells the events of the novel from some point in the future. It is not clear whether he is telling the past events from a point that is close or distant to present time. Nevertheless, he is always looking back. As such, he is able to provide contextual information and relevant anecdotes and facts which help readers further understand the plot, or allow them to understand how things turn out in the future. For example, between Pages 172 and 173, Jacob pauses the narrative to actually reflect on the idea of marriage. He talks about how things will turn out in the future regarding his latest essay by noting he is “leaping ahead in time here (173).”

Language and Meaning

Howard Norman tells his novel My...