Elliot is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He never reveals his real name to the reader but admits that he adopted the name Elliot Chase after a character in a Noël Coward play. He describes himself as “about forty years old, give or take a year or two. […] about average height, perhaps a bit taller. […] a slim build, but not as razor-thin as I used to be” (25). When he was younger, he tells the reader, he “was skinny, wired, edgy, and anxious,” but he claims that he’s “finally calmed down now, thankfully” (25). It is unclear how much time has passed since Lana’s murder or how long he’s been in prison, but Elliot seems to imply in this quote that it was during the time that he “was skinny, wired, edgy, and anxious” and that he is telling this story from the perspective of a more mature Elliot (25).

As the narrator, Elliot often speaks to the reader directly, a literary technique known as “direct address.” Michaelides uses this strategy to create a connection between Elliot and the reader and to close the

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now