Omniscient viewpoint is the most difficult viewpoint to master. This may seem counterintuitive, for most writers think it would be easier if they could reveal what was going on in every character’s mind. In reality, it’s far more difficult.
From an omniscient point of view, the author knows every character intimately. The authors the past and the future. He or she can even though things the character doesn’t know. This creates an overabundance of knowledge which can decimate the pacing of the story and overwhelm the reader.
Limitations of Omniscient Viewpoint
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Summary
In both examples, the authors tell us things the participants in the scene cannot know. They cannot see into the future, which Dickens predicts. They cannot know the name of the rider. They could only infer that the sheriff knows the rider, because nothing in the telling would reveal this except the omniscient voice of the author.
1http://www.literaturepage.com/read/taleoftwocities-406.html
