Point of view

The point of view in this novel is a hodge-podge of third and first person. Part One is told in third person limited omniscient and Part Two opens in first person diarist. Of particular interest is the reader's sense of balance between the events of the end of part one and then seeing those events through the eyes of Billy Prior in the beginning of part two.

Throughout Part Three, readers flip back and forth between third person as it pertains to Dr. Rivers, first person through Billy's eyes and again move to third person looking over Billy's shoulder in the war. While this may cause a sense of vertigo at first, readers quickly adapt and will find the switch in point of view to be commonplace by the end of the story.

Readers will come away knowing Dr. Rivers far better through his experiences on...