Point of View

Despite the fact that most stories in the novel are from the life of the narrator’s grandfather, the book is technically told entirely from the narrator’s point of view, as he is the one interpreting these stories and recounting them to the reader. The narrator often interjects with his own opinions and interpretations, and logic would imply that he also fabricates many small details, as he is only hearing the anecdotes in a conversational setting. This even seems to apply to anecdotes in which the narrator is recounting his own memories, since memory is generally fuzzy and imperfect, so it is necessary for the narrator to fill in hazy details and filter everything through his present perspective.

However, if one wishes to temporarily set aside the narrative voice and simply treat the narrator as an omniscient entity, then the book is told from...