The Floating Opera

Todd Andrews is the main character and narrator of the novel. The Floating Opera covers decades of Todd’s life, from childhood to adulthood. As he matures, he becomes a slender and handsome man: “I’m fifty-four years old and six feet tall, but I weigh only 145. I look like what I think Gregory Peck, the movie actor, will look like when he’s fifty-four, except that I keep my hair cut short enough not to have to comb it, and I don’t shave every day” (3). Todd’s looks and characteristics attract beautiful women, like Jane, but Todd isn’t entirely healthy. He has clubbed fingers, a bad heart, and an infected prostate. These physical flaws add more drama to his life and the story. His ugly fingers spark an existential crisis, his heart makes him obsessed with death, and his prostate causes impotence. Physically, Todd largely fits the model of a traditional male hero, but his illnesses make him more distinct and imbues him with flaws he must grapple with.

Todd tells his story through the first-person perspective and regularly acknowledges he is writing a novel, giving the novel a metanarrative style. Todd’s ability to talk directly to the reader creates a playful