The narrative structure is like a set of Russian babushka dolls, each story fits neatly within the other. While the differences are evident, there are also obvious similarities between the plots. Infused with regret and bitterness, The Blind Assassin is a elegantly composed novel. It depicts happiness as an elusive thing, frustrated by humanity's incapacity for love and understanding. From Iris's parent's marriage to the fictional love affair, every relationship depicted in the novel is fraught with angst and disappointment.
Romance takes place in the middle distance.
Romance is looking in at yourself, through a window clouded with dew. There's a sad sourness to the tone. Iris and Laura's parents were once people of great faith in God. Separated soon after their marriage by World War One, their mother became more fervent in her belief, while their father lost his completely. Over the trenches God had burst like a balloon, and there was nothing left of him but grubby little scraps of hypocrisy.