Point of View

The novel is told from the first-person perspective of the unnamed narrator. The majority of the novel is told in the present-tense. However, there are some exceptions. Throughout the book, italicized sections appear that designate that the text is included in a flashback or a flash-forward, like the one in the very first chapter of the novel.

Language and Meaning

While the majority of the novel's language is clear and standard, there are some geographic-related words that may be difficult to understand. As the book both takes place in Iceland and is translated from Icelandic, the narrator often uses words such as "fjord" that are seldom used in modern English. The narrator also mentions Icelandic landmarks and towns that non-Icelandic citizens may not recognize.The vast majority of the rest of the book uses the internal monologues of the narrator as well as dialogue to...