A perpetual drifter named Wilson arrives at a new boarding house, determined to reinvent himself yet again in his search for a meaningful vocation. Wilson moves from one town to the next, cycling through a series of disparate occupations ranging from cook to postman, all while navigating the eccentricities of his various landladies. His quest for self-actualization is constantly undermined by his own ineptitude and a series of bizarre, escalating misfortunes. The narrative follows his erratic trajectory with a detached, observational tone that highlights the absurdity of his perpetual state of transition.

This work is characterized by the distinctively dry, observational wit associated with David Nobbs's style. The narrative structure suggests a picaresque approach, focusing on the protagonist's repetitive failures rather than a traditional arc of growth. Readers likely encounter a tone that balances social satire with a sympathetic, if bemused, look at a man perpetually out of step with his environment. The book functions as a study in the absurdity of the human condition, emphasizing the protagonist's relentless, albeit misguided, optimism in the face of constant social rejection.