What is the author's style in Washington Square by Henry James?

The point of view in the novel, Washington Square, is a third person omniscient point of view that includes the intrusion of the authorial voice. The author of this novel, as is typical of such Victorian novels, inserts his own voice and opinions in the novel from the first chapter by addressing the reader directly. The author often makes statements that inform the reader of what is to come or by suggesting that an action previously described will impact the plot in a specific way.

The point of view of this novel is typical of novels written in the time period in which this novel was written. The author writes the novel as though talking directly to the reader in a conversational way, having a nice conversation. This adds a tone to the novel that is informal and at times humorous. However, it moves the action away from the main characters and does not create the same intimacy between reader and character that modern novels tend to nourish.