less of the way she was than of the way he wanted to see her

[ecoul]

Hello

I couldn't get the structure here. "Less of the something than of the something" What does it mean?

None of the people she worked with knew what had happened. Or, if they did, they didn’t let on. Her picture had been in the paper-they’d used the picture he took of her and the three kids, the new baby, Dimitri, in her arms, and Barbara Ann and Sasha on either side, looking on. Her hair had been long and wavy and brown then, natural in curl and color, as he liked it, and her face bashful and soft-a reflection less of the way she was than of the way he wanted to see her.

Source: Too Much Happiness (Alice Munro)

 

[Tarheel]

In this case it means she wasn't that way, but he saw her that way. (It's a common enough expression.)

Does that help?

 

[ecoul]

In this case it means she wasn't that way, but he saw her that way. (It's a common enough expression.)

Does that help?

Does it mean "less reflection than the way he wanted to see her" ?

 

[emsr2d2]

There are two possible reflections of her:
1. The way she was.
2. The way he wanted to see her.

The reflection in question is more 2 than 1.