Point of View

The Bookshop is written in the third person with a narrator looking mostly over Florence Green's shoulder, but also able to see things that may impact on her, either from within Hardborough or even in far distances like the Parliament in London.

Florence's day-to-day thoughts, actions, and conversations are reliably told. Some of her conversations are delivered by letters and notes. Correspondence between Florence and the reclusive Mr. Brundish is only revealed by their notes until they meet. Once they have met Mr. Brundish becomes visible to the reader and is taken with him to his meeting with Violet Gamart.

The involvement of Mrs. Gamart in the downfall of the Old House Bookshop is understated, as it would have been if she herself were retelling it at one of her parties. It highlights her behind the scenes wiles. Her husband, Colonel Gamart, relays obvious deceptions to...