Point of View

The point of view in Donna Leon's Death and Judgment is third person omniscient. While the story concerns the activities of Guido Brunetti, the author made the smart choice to avoid using the first person. The story itself is rather complex and only third person omniscient would allow the reader to follow and understand the activities of all the characters and also allow for the actions and thoughts of other characters in the book as well as those events of which Brunetti has no knowledge.

Leon still manages to let the reader see inside Brunetti's head. Readers are granted insight into Brunetti's thoughts on the case, from the frustration of gathering elusive evidence to the victory of Signora Ceroni's confession. The reader is also permitted to see Venice through Brunetti's eyes, the appreciation of the city where he grew up and remains.

Paola's views are also...