The novel follows the life of the character Rob Jordan and is divided
into three sections; Shouting to myself, Nine out of ten videos are shit
and Because of the ants. In the first section, set in 1994, Rob is a
struggling newly qualified teacher; lonely and frustrated at home and
depressed at work. In section two, in 1999, Rob has been promoted to the
dole and spends his time fantasising about murdering his vicar flatmate,
whilst becoming involved in an ill-fated love triangle. The last
section, set in 2004, sees Rob on the run and a series of flashbacks
reveal that he has killed a man. The tone is comic but the novel does
attempt to deal with contemporary issues. At a rough estimate, there is
a profound slice of wisdom about every six gags. Six and a half maximum.
And if you are still not convinced, if you do read a more amusing book
about teaching or being on the dole this millennium, you get a free
rabbit in a nut. Guaranteed.