Point of View

In Red Prophet, the author uses a first person perspective, switching between the characters that are central to each chapter. For example, in the first chapter, the story is told from Hooch Palmer's perspective as he supplies whisky to the soldiers and the Reds at Carthage City. In the second chapter, which deals with La Fayette and de Maurepas waiting to greet Napoleon upon his arrival, the story is told from their perspective. Each chapter is narrated by the characters central to the chapter. While this might seem confusing, Orson Scott Card does a reliable and competent job of blending the ideas and thoughts of these central characters, making the novel a good read from beginning to end. The story has strength of opinion and insights as the central characters interact, and this form of variable narration actually gives the reader a much better view of...