'Sammy' Samuels

Sammy is the central character of the novel, and others appear only peripherally as Sammy comes into contact with them or thinks about them. He is 38 years old, Glaswegian, once married but now single. He has recently started living with his girlfriend, Helen, in her flat. His first marriage, when very young, lasted only into his mid-twenties and he has no contact with his ex-wife. He has a son Peter, who is now 15, from this marriage. Sammy speaks (and thinks) in very rough Glasgow dialect, with liberal use of very crude profanities, mainly the 'f' word. He is currently unemployed but has worked in the past in the building trade in different parts of the country.

Sammy appears to be almost a vagrant character. He has no regular job or permanent home, a criminal background and continuing involvement in petty crime, and drinks heavily. He develops an...