[1] The style is also partly in the form of classic confessional writing, as the protagonist seeks to explain the relevance of his choice of vocation.

The story is written in the first-person narrative from the point of view of the main character, who is known as Edmund or Signor Farfalla.

To the townsfolk he puts on the role of a painter of butterflies, which can be found in diverse and rich measures in the hilly and forested areas around the village.

This is not far from the truth, since he admits to having stayed in the English countryside for a very long time at an earlier stage in his career.

The novel was adapted by Rowan Joffe into a screenplay for the film The American (2010), which was directed by Anton Corbijn and stars George Clooney, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido, Irina Björklund, and Paolo Bonacelli.