John

John (his last name is never given) is the novel’s central character and protagonist. He is in his late twenties, gay, and employed with an unidentified company doing an unspecified form of work in an economic environment that is at best uncertain, at worst soul- and life-destroying. John is self-destructive and promiscuous, fearful and desperate, lonely but unwilling to work at establishing and maintaining the sort of personal connections that would ease his loneliness – at least at first. His journey of transformation over the course of the novel takes him in the direction of at least beginning to move in a direction of more vulnerability, more willingness to take risks to stay personally connected, and more willingness to separate himself from the neuroses and destructiveness of those whom he once considered friends.

Interesting points to note about John include his name, “John” being a name that has...