Point of View

There are three distinct points of view in the novella: Dad, Crow, and the boys.

Dad’s point of view is shaped by his grief and how he recognizes his loss affecting his everyday life. As an author writing about Ted Hughes, his focus appears intermittently academic when focusing on things that are not as personal and private. Some of his passages are letters, and at one point, a table of contents. His tone can also be confessional, as when he brings a lover home for the first time after his wife’s death.

Crow’s point of view is the most irregular of the three. He alternates from fairy tale style to verse to more traditional narration. He understands his role in the family. He may mock Dad or play a trick on the boys, but he has their best interests in mind. When...