Point of View

Lovely Green Eyes is narrated by Jindra Klaus, the husband of the protagonist, Hanka Kaudersova (Skinny). He tells the story looking back to the end of World War II, when they were both in their teens and before their relationship had formed. For much of the novel he takes on the position of a third person omniscient narrator, visualizing the camp, the brothel and the events that took place there as he imagined them to be, based on what he has been told by Hanka in the intervening years. This allows the reader to uncover the thoughts and emotions of characters that would have been inaccessible to Skinny during her experience.

Making use of a predominantly third person narrator also has the effect of honoring Skinny's experience. With only infrequent appearances by the narrator, this style of narration presents a story which holds her at...