▁They ▁exist ▁to ▁cast ▁doubt ▁not ▁only ▁on ▁the ▁ver acity ▁of ▁the ▁fiction ▁that ▁preced ed ▁it , ▁but ▁also ▁on ▁themselves . ▁Christian , ▁for ▁example , ▁dismiss es ▁any ▁accus ation ▁of ▁self - inter est , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁Brad ley ▁li ed ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁her . ▁Francis ▁ass esses ▁Brad ley ▁as ▁a ▁d ys function al ▁ne uro t ic ▁to ▁promote ▁his ▁new ▁book . ▁Rach el ▁also ▁claims ▁that ▁Brad ley ▁may ▁have ▁li ed ▁due ▁to ▁un re qu ited ▁love . ▁Julian ▁herself ▁has ▁little ▁to ▁say : ▁she ▁states ▁that ▁she ▁rem embers ▁little ▁of ▁that ▁time , ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁has ▁no ▁wish ▁to ▁remember ▁anything ▁more . ▁The ▁" editor " ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁volume ▁con cludes ▁the ▁novel ▁by ▁supporting ▁Brad ley ' s ▁account ▁and ▁pra ising ▁his ▁dev otion ▁to ▁love ▁as ▁an ▁all - emp ower ing ▁force . ▁ ▁In flu ences ▁and ▁them es ▁Chief ▁amongst ▁I ris ▁Mur do ch ' s ▁influ ences ▁for ▁this ▁novel ▁is ▁the ▁Shakespeare ▁play ▁Ham let . ▁It ▁is ▁open ly ▁referenced ▁and ▁discussed ▁throughout , ▁especially ▁by ▁Brad ley . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁noted ▁in ▁the ▁Post - Script s ▁that ▁Brad ley ▁Pear son ▁shares ▁initial s ▁with ▁the ▁Black ▁Prince , ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Pear son ' s ▁fict ional ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Mur do ch ' s ▁real ▁work . ▁Also ▁present ▁is ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Fre