Point of View

The novel is written from the first person point of view of the protagonist, G.G. However, this first person point of view does not adhere to traditional narrative rules. Over the course of the novel, G.G.’s character and voice become increasingly obscured by his relationship with Gaustine. In Part I, Chapter 4, G.G. describes Gaustine in the following manner: “Gaustine, whom I first invented, and then met in flesh and blood. Or perhaps it was the opposite, I don’t remember. My invisible friend, more real and visible than my very self” (18). Gaustine, therefore, is an extension of G.G. He is a character that G.G. has created for his ongoing novelistic project. Yet, as the project becomes more and more consuming, Gaustine’s character, voice, and identity consume G.G.’s.

Although G.G. is the first person narrator, as...