Point of View

The author tells the story of Kane and Abel through third person omniscient narrative.

The chapters jump back and forth between the lives of the two main characters so the reader can see them both at the same points in the characters' lives. For instance, Chapter 1 shows the birth of Wladek, and chapter 2 shows the birth of William. This allows the reader to make connections between the development of both characters. Even under drastically different circumstances, the two main characters share many similarities, including the date of birth.

As the boys mature and begin dealing with each other on a business level, the chapters follow the story along in sequence. For example, in one chapter Abel angrily hangs up on William. The next chapter starts with William being amused by the hang-up. The next chapter then picks up with the same amount of time passing for...