Symbols abound in V., starting with the title of the book, which is not V but V., an abbreviation which stands for something else. It has been proposed that V stands not only for the character in the novel but for Venus (the shape of the alphabet letter suggesting erotic welcome), Vheissu, Venezuela, and a number of other V's mentioned in the book. The path made by a yo-yo also describes a V, and mirrors frequently appear as representations of the "V" symbol, since a ray of light travels into a mirror and bounces back to the viewer in a "V" pattern.

The lengthy flashbacks are confusing to a reader who expects the novel to follow the conventional form, as it is often difficult to determine who is the narrator of these sections. Usually the flashbacks are presumed to have been based on Sidney Stencil's journals, but events...