Point of View

The action of the novel is narrated in what might be described as a subjective third person voice - a very distinctive, sardonically observant voice that conveys as much thematic and narrative meaning in and of itself as the action and characters it's describing. There are occasions in which this highly idiosyncratic point of view becomes intrusive. Rather than letting the actions of the characters speak for themselves and define theme and meaning by themselves, the narrative voice at times explains them and defines them quite explicitly, even elaborating upon them in tangential, indulgently detailed commentary. This is not to suggest for one moment that this narrative voice is not entertaining or engaging - on the contrary, it goes a long way towards making what might otherwise be seen as a somewhat didactic theme substantially lighter and more accessible. Ultimately, though, the deepest value of this...