Genre
historiographic metafiction
Setting and Context
Set during the time of Bonaparte, most of the novel takes place in Venice.
Narrator and Point of View
Point of View: first person
Narrator: Henri and Villanelle
Tone and Mood
Tone: questioning, speculative
Mood: suspenseful
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: there are two protagonists, Villanelle and Henri, Antagonist: the surprising antagonist that comes out at the end is the cook Henri replaces who is also Villanelle's husband.
Major Conflict
A young Frenchman Henri, goes into war to become Bonaparte's personal cook. Villanelle gets into war after being forced by her husband. The two meet during Bonaparte's siege of Russia and decide to escape.
Climax
Henri kills the cook, who is also Villanelle's husband. Villanelle inherits her late husband's fortune and Henri ends up in a madhouse which he doesn't feel like leaving.
Foreshadowing
The conflict between the cook and Henri, and the cook's threats to him after he took his place to cook for Bonaparte foreshadow the plot-twist at the end.
Understatement
Henri is idolizing Bonaparte, the object of his passion, making him understate the horrors of war that he will be forced to face.
Allusions
"Not all men are as fortunate as Ulysses." p. 83
Imagery
We have imagery of Venice, which is richly described as a city of mazes.
Paradox
"Trust me, I'm telling you stories." (a sentence, or variations thereof, used five times in the novel)
"Hopeless heart that thrives on paradox; that longs for the beloved and is secretly relieved when the beloved is not there." p.73 (use of paradox and its explanation)
Parallelism
"You play, you win, you play, you lose. You play." (an expression used four times in the novel)
Metonymy and Synecdoche
"This is a city of madmen" p. 112
Personification
"the silent city" p. 54
