Point of View

Gaiman exclusively uses a third person omniscient narrative perspective, with the point of view often colored by the current character of interest. In this way, the reader experiences multiple perspectives as the story progresses. While the story is primarily concerned with Richard Mayhew, the reader is also privy to the hearts and minds of other characters, giving a broad view of the world and the relationships of the characters. As Old Bailey, for example, observes a particularly beautiful sunset, his melancholy is apparent on the page. This gives the reader a degree of intimacy unachievable from someone else's perspective. In a book centered primarily on character, the reader experiences many characters' unique points of view.

Since the narrator speaks from outside the story, the voice is authoritative. While the narrative is occasionally colored by the perspective of individual characters, there is not a sense of bias...