Final answer:
The novel's narrative voice is nuanced, with a childlike innocence and unconventional structure that Anthony Burgess praised as a significant breakthrough in twentieth-century prose-writing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The narrative voice in the novel's opening is particularly challenging to characterize due to its unique approach to portraying a child's perspective. The story begins with a childlike innocence using a phrase reminiscent of traditional story-telling, "Once upon a time." This choice in diction, filled with childlike repetition and nonsensical words, distances the narrative from a more conventional, adult-centric form of realism. Despite the seeming simplicity, it represents what Anthony Burgess describes as "the first big technical breakthrough of twentieth-century prose-writing," highlighting the significance of the narrative's structure and the impact it has on the reader's experience.