The grotesque yet enlightened Epiphane Otos both refined and vulnerable and Ethel, a smart young actress, portrayed as incredibly beautiful.
Like in all books by Amélie Nothomb, literary and artistic references abound (for example Notre Dame de Paris).
Amélie Nothomb skillfully demonstrates depictions of beauty and ugliness throughout the dialogue between Epiphane and Ethel: We are thrown by others views, shaped by them.
On a wider scale, Amélie Nothomb invites us to question our philosophies and core beliefs, through the character of Epiphane Otos.
Are one's views on a given topic, fact, or idea a result of personal reflection or the absorption of a societal concept which has not yet been refuted?