Point of View

The novel is told from Victor’s point of view from the start. From the beginning, the reader trusts Victor at a narrator, perhaps because he is so self-deprecating. He thinks of himself as a failure, which, in turn, makes the reader think Victor has the capacity to see himself and his life more honestly.

However, there are small moments in the novel that demonstrate to us that Victor, who lets readers know right off that he is a writer, is writing the novel we are reading. “Smile” is Victor’s work. Some moments let us know that Victor is writing the novel – about Rachel and his life. In one instance, Victor sits down to write, and he writes, “She pulled me to the floor by the sleeve of my jumper. Then she kneeled in front of me – she wasn’t smiling. She turned her...