Point of View

Really Good, Actually is written from the first person point of view of the main character, Maggie. By writing the novel from her protagonist’s vantage point, the author is granting Maggie authority over her own story. Contrary to formal expectations, Maggie quickly proves to be avoidant and deflective. These facets of her first person narration are inspired by her confusion over her breakup.

The author establishes this relationship between Maggie’s evasive narrative tendencies and her recent separation from Jon within the opening paragraph of the novel. “My marriage ended because I was cruel. Or because I ate in bed. Or because he liked electronic music and difficult films about men in nature. Or because I did not” (1). Throughout the remainder of this paragraph, which spans more than a page, Maggie toggles between blaming herself and blaming her ex for their failed relationship. Her...