Point of View

This story is told by a third person omniscient narrator. Gamache is a character of focus but the narrator does not follow him exclusively. There are sections of the novel that describe the thoughts and emotions of other characters, for instance, there are sections of the trial scenes that are told from the point of view of Corriveau as she tries to determine what is happening between Gamache and the Chief Crown. The omniscient point of view is ideal for this novel because it does give the reader a full scope of what is happening both in the village of Three Pines and in the courtroom as the trial progresses.

The narrator alternates telling the story of the cobrador’s strange appearance in Three Pines with the action taking place in the courtroom. This allows the reader to understand the atmosphere in Three Pines when...