Recovering Pessimist
The narrator exhibits classic signs of being a pessimist even though efforts are being made to recover. Metaphorical imagery establishes this personality trait, rather than just coming out and admitting to looking at the not-so-sunny side of the street:
“Things were somehow so good that they were in danger of becoming very bad because what is fully mature is very close to rotting.”
Narration
In fact, the very act of narration is an elemental aspect of the book’s construction. It is a classic case of how a story is told forming and shaping what the story is that is being told. It is a classic case of the self-conscious narrator, although the consciousness at times seems disconnect from the reality going on:
“I swear that this book is composed without words: like a mute photograph. This book is a silence: an interrogation.”
The Darkness
The darkness isn’t just a rock group that believes in love, it is almost certainly the single most popular metaphor for writers since the turn of the 20th century. Don’t believe it? Use the search feature on your favorite e-book reader and see how many of your downloaded novels feature at least metaphorical reference to darkness. This particular example is a two-fer: two different metaphorical uses of darkness in the same paragraph. There’s more elsewhere.
“I am not afraid of tempestuous storms or violent gales for I am also the night's darkness. Even though I cannot bear to hear whistling or footsteps in the dark. Darkness? It reminds me of a former girlfriend. She was sexually experienced and there was such darkness inside her body.”
Succulent Adornment
The high and heavy usage of metaphor in this novel winds up becoming quite ironic. Very early on, the narrator directly addresses the reader and makes a kind of assertion/promise to refrain from the temptation to use “succulent terms” for the purpose of “adorning the word.” Judge the succulence for yourself:
“She walked out of Madame Carlota's apartment in a daze, paused in the cul-de-sac that was already darkening in the twilight — the twilight that belongs to no one. Her eyes dimmed over as if the dying light was a stain of blood and gold already turning to black. The atmosphere seemed charged with riches and the face of descending night — oh, yes — appeared deep and magnificent.”
The Girl
There is a girl in this book. And, according to the narrator, the book is about her. Some readers may not be so sure of this. But there is a girl and the book does purport to be about her. Here’s some evidence supporting that weak argument:
“The anonymous girl of this story is so ancient that she could be described as biblical. She was subterranean and had never really flowered.”
