Perspective

In Thunderstruck, the author is a trusted narrator, usually writing in the universal and omniscient perspective. He knows what has happened and what lies ahead, and he guides the reader through a story that is organized according to how he wants it to be told. Throughout the book, the narration whipsaws back and forth between the stories of Marconi and Crippen. These shifts occur within sections, chapters, and even pages, but the transitions are skillfully handled and produce a momentum that helps to propel the story forward.

The chronology of the two histories is generally maintained, but quoted material from court transcripts and later writings is regularly incorporated to provide background details and additional information that is sometimes retrospective.

As an omniscient voice, the author uses frequent and pronounced foreshadowing to call attention to events that will become important later in the narrative and to build suspense. The...