In every one of the eight stories that link this narrative into a novel, the theme of love serves as the foundational refrain, repeating throughout. Even in the story of Cornelius, the battle to find love in friendship or to navigate the torturous love he feels for his father, the author brings love to the fore. Through each character, the author intentionally provides an array of love experiences. When taken altogether, the overarching point is that love, in whatever form it takes, is unpredictable. In this way, love is both a theme and a character.

The author uses the painting as the springboard for each of the characters to explore their relationship with love. There are many forms of love, including familial love, romantic love, and love for self. The preponderance of tragic and unrequited love demonstrates that this theme does not always produce a happy ending. In all these various plot configurations, the novel demonstrates how ubiquitous love is, but also how clever and frightening it can be.

Readers are shown, via the range of stories throughout the novel, that love is many things: It is mysterious, obvious, and tortured.