Book Anatomy: Ask the book now sits at the top of every book, with example questions · Ask any classic book about the craft that made it great · 50 tools · Updated 16 Oct 2026 · My list

Book Anatomy · All lenses

E1. Person and tense: first or third, past or present. Count

Viewpoint and narration. One line per book. Open a book for the full answer, charts and cited lines.

BookGenreResult
Treasure IslandThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,484 times and present forms 110 times.
The Thirty-Nine StepsThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,742 times and present forms 44 times.
The Prisoner of ZendaThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,936 times and present forms 109 times.
Around the World in Eighty DaysThriller and adventureThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,185 times and present forms 187 times.
King Solomon's MinesThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,370 times and present forms 418 times.
The Hound of the BaskervillesCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,411 times and present forms 243 times.
A Study in ScarletCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,248 times and present forms 127 times.
The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,057 times and present forms 265 times.
The MoonstoneCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 5,354 times and present forms 954 times.
The Woman in WhiteCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 7,355 times and present forms 1,252 times.
Pride and PrejudiceRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,808 times and present forms 276 times.
PersuasionRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,934 times and present forms 209 times.
EmmaRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 4,690 times and present forms 486 times.
Jane EyreRomanceFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 5,096 times and present forms 444 times.
DraculaGothic and horrorFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 4,676 times and present forms 1,683 times.
FrankensteinGothic and horrorFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,909 times and present forms 324 times.
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeGothic and horrorMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 912 times and present forms 54 times.
The Picture of Dorian GrayGothic and horrorMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,310 times and present forms 434 times.
Wuthering HeightsGothic and horrorFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,517 times and present forms 255 times.
The Turn of the ScrewGothic and horrorFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,546 times and present forms 25 times.
The Time MachineScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 934 times and present forms 70 times.
The War of the WorldsScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,376 times and present forms 185 times.
The Invisible ManScience fictionThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,663 times and present forms 80 times.
Alice's Adventures in WonderlandFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,137 times and present forms 9 times.
The Wonderful Wizard of OzFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,414 times and present forms 15 times.
The Secret GardenFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,437 times and present forms 60 times.
The Wind in the WillowsFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,471 times and present forms 88 times.
Great ExpectationsLiteraryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 7,195 times and present forms 168 times.
A Christmas CarolLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,068 times and present forms 35 times.
The Great GatsbyLiteraryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,571 times and present forms 62 times.
Heart of DarknessLiteraryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,406 times and present forms 160 times.
KidnappedThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,050 times and present forms 280 times.
The Count of Monte CristoThriller and adventureThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 10,985 times and present forms 953 times.
The Three MusketeersThriller and adventureThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 6,434 times and present forms 326 times.
The Riddle of the SandsThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,630 times and present forms 344 times.
The Scarlet PimpernelThriller and adventureThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,786 times and present forms 82 times.
The Lost WorldThriller and adventureFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,397 times and present forms 306 times.
Captain BloodThriller and adventureThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,592 times and present forms 164 times.
Lady Audley's SecretCrime and mysteryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,749 times and present forms 318 times.
The Murders in the Rue MorgueCrime and mysteryMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 339 times and present forms 147 times.
The Innocence of Father BrownCrime and mysteryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,642 times and present forms 235 times.
The Big Bow MysteryCrime and mysteryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,439 times and present forms 242 times.
The Leavenworth CaseCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,553 times and present forms 128 times.
The Red Thumb MarkCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,276 times and present forms 251 times.
The Amateur CracksmanCrime and mysteryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,539 times and present forms 52 times.
The Secret AgentCrime and mysteryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,620 times and present forms 160 times.
Sense and SensibilityRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,622 times and present forms 275 times.
North and SouthRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 5,662 times and present forms 270 times.
Far from the Madding CrowdRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 4,505 times and present forms 288 times.
The Enchanted AprilRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 4,260 times and present forms 57 times.
The SheikRomanceThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 4,014 times and present forms 92 times.
Daddy Long LegsRomanceFirst person, mixed tense. In the narration, past forms come 664 times and present forms 668 times.
CarmillaGothic and horrorFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 778 times and present forms 84 times.
The Castle of OtrantoGothic and horrorThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 954 times and present forms 32 times.
The Phantom of the OperaGothic and horrorMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,680 times and present forms 240 times.
The Great God PanGothic and horrorFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 649 times and present forms 84 times.
The Yellow WallpaperGothic and horrorFirst person, present tense. In the narration, past forms come 119 times and present forms 179 times.
The Call of CthulhuGothic and horrorMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 443 times and present forms 43 times.
The Island of Doctor MoreauScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,726 times and present forms 96 times.
Journey to the Centre of the EarthScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,728 times and present forms 331 times.
A Princess of MarsScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,954 times and present forms 259 times.
HerlandScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,964 times and present forms 106 times.
FlatlandScience fictionFirst person, mixed tense. In the narration, past forms come 402 times and present forms 451 times.
ErewhonScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,815 times and present forms 908 times.
The Last ManScience fictionFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 5,225 times and present forms 550 times.
Through the Looking GlassFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,033 times and present forms 27 times.
A Little PrincessFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,816 times and present forms 76 times.
The Jungle BookFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 1,526 times and present forms 225 times.
Five Children and ItFantasy and children'sMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,522 times and present forms 437 times.
The Railway ChildrenFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,808 times and present forms 155 times.
The Princess and the GoblinFantasy and children'sMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,188 times and present forms 342 times.
Peter and WendyFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,202 times and present forms 253 times.
The Worm OuroborosFantasy and children'sThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,634 times and present forms 216 times.
Anne of Green GablesFantasy and children'sMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,831 times and present forms 366 times.
Black BeautyFantasy and children'sFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,654 times and present forms 158 times.
MiddlemarchLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 11,419 times and present forms 868 times.
Tess of the d'UrbervillesLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 5,278 times and present forms 209 times.
Mrs DallowayLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,249 times and present forms 228 times.
To the LighthouseLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,425 times and present forms 227 times.
Anna KareninaLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 14,313 times and present forms 337 times.
Crime and PunishmentLiteraryMixed, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 5,422 times and present forms 1,041 times.
Madame BovaryLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,976 times and present forms 159 times.
The Age of InnocenceLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,479 times and present forms 48 times.
Silas MarnerLiteraryThird person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 2,554 times and present forms 209 times.
Adventures of Huckleberry FinnLiteraryFirst person, past tense. In the narration, past forms come 3,087 times and present forms 834 times.
HamletPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
MacbethPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
Romeo and JulietPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
OthelloPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
A Midsummer Night's DreamPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
Twelfth NightPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
Doctor FaustusPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
The Importance of Being EarnestPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
A Doll's HousePlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
Hedda GablerPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
PygmalionPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
The School for ScandalPlaysA play: characters speak in the present; stage directions are in the present tense.
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