I am a stickler for narrative points of view (povs). The section of "Lodestar" that features Nicholas van Rijn is narrated from the point of view of van Rijn's granddaughter, Coya Conyon. However, on pp. 379-380, we read four long paragraphs of dialogue between van Rijn and the Ythrian Captain Hirharouk before Coya enters van Rijn's stateroom and regards them both. She cannot have heard the preceding conversation.
Anderson does not make the mistake of recounting the dialogue from either pov. Van Rijn bellows, Hirharouk gives him look for look and replies in Anglic, van Rijn responds in Planha, Hiraharouk laughs and concedes, van Rijn booms in his distorted Anglic and refills his tankard. Everything that is described could have been observed by a third party. However, there was no third party present until Coya arrived as van Rijn refilled the tankard.
The omniscient narrator asks:
"Was it to gibe or be friendly that van Rijn responded in pretty fair Planha?" (p. 379)
Good question but omniscient narrators usually remain off-stage as far as possible instead of posing questions that might have occurred to a third party observer.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I think one or either of us mentioned that we never see how things looked from OLD NICK'S point of view. Always, we see him from OTHERS points of view. For such a major character as Nicholas van Rijn, that seems odd.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
That is mostly correct. There are some passages narrated from van Rijn's pov in "Margin of Profit."
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Aha, I forgot about "Margin of Profit." A rare exception!
Ad astra! Sean
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