Mr. Stroud, I have question.

When reading the Bartimaeus Trilogy, I have noticed that whenever there is a chapter with Bartimaeus in it, then it is in first-person. Did you do this on purpose? I think it suits the book rally well, because of his personality. But did you originally plan to do this?

P.S. I enjoyed Ptolemy's Gate.

Hi Carrot,

Your question really relates to the very beginning of the whole project, when I sat down at the computer for the first time. I wanted to do a story in which the hero wasn't the normal magician/human/kid, but a demon, and in order to bring that off I thought I would have to tell it through the demon's point of view. When I began writing I immediately realised that this was going to work: Bart's voice was sarky and full of life, scattering footnotes, rude responses etc - I knew it was going to be fun. He's got so much narrative energy that before I knew it I'd written the first 4 chapters in 2 days, and was taking him to Trafalgar Square. But gradually I realised that if the whole book was going to be 'by' Bart, it would become wearisome - you need a break from all the gags. So I began writing Nat's (and Kitty's) points of view also - and interspersed them with the Bart ones. This provided a good balance and meant that no point of view dominated (though Bart was always the most fun to write). The Kitty narrative was later pushed back to Book II, but thereafter I always tried keeping the three protagonists' chapters in roughly equal balance.

Glad you like PG!

Jonathan

The whole triology could have in first person; less descriptive, yes, but far more emotive.

I rather prefer description over the aspect of emotion myself, Ptolost.

It would have been confusing if it was all in first person. The story was told from the POV of Barti, so if it was in first person for the others too...

First person works, I tell you.

Yes, but not if you have three characters all in first person in one book.

Well... if it was an agsty piece or even ironic humor... Damm you're right.

I feel so happy I posted in the same thread as the author!

I sense that you are a worshipper of Stroud's shoes by the looks of it. XD

Half the forum is... Post and Krim in particular.