The author, from whose point of view the novel is narrated, opens the narrative in an ambiguous position. He appears to be writing both as himself and as a fictionalized version of himself who interacts with the characters in his story. It is not uncommon for an author to speak directly to the reader. Neither is it unusual for a fictional character to claim to be the actual author of the story, but the combination of the two devices blurs the lines between author and story.

One of the advantages of a first-person narrator who is not the protagonist is that the story is a relatively balanced, objective observation of the other characters. The fictional Maugham shows his impartiality when he tells Isabel that when he really cares for someone, their wrongdoing doesn’t make him like them any less. The Maugham character serves as a reliable narrator who gathers together the disparate parts of the story, like a detective gathering clues, and puts them together in a coherent narrative.

He also provides insight into the characters, while the characters themselves don’t have this insight. For example, he observes Isabel’s self-deceptions and Larry’s lack of intimate connection.