Point of View

Most of the novel is presented by an omniscient third-person narrator who knows everything that needs to be known. But what the Germans call "erlebte Rede" (literally "experienced discourse") or "limited point of view" is also used. In this technique, the author may use the third person but tells the story exclusively from a character's point of view. Jane Austen and Henry James are masters of this narrative technique.

One of the best examples of this technique in Police is the first chapter which is told from Erlend Vennesla's point of view. The third paragraph, for example, contains the following example: "Because it was important to have the right technique. Especially when you were tired ..." (7) Another excellent example of this technique describes the events leading up to Anton's death. The last three paragraphs of Chapter 13 contain sentences like the following: "There was a couple of...