Comment on point of view

The novel is written in the third person point of view. The narration remains with Jude throughout most of the novel, but occasionally moves into the minds of one of the three other main characters. However, the point of view lacks the omniscient characteristic that most modern readers are accustomed to. While the reader is privy to the main character's thoughts and desires, the reader is kept at something of a distance due to the authorial voice that often intrudes on the narration.