Humorous and intimate. I'm sure we all have faced or will face issues like Mr. Appleforth. All the more reason to read about his issues in diary form. The execution of this novel is superb and makes for an entertaining and funny read.

Somewhere between Adrian Mole and Ignatius J. Reilly, Arnold Appleforth fails to really live up to either. He is still irascible and difficult to handle, but lacks any affable charm that comes from his grumpiness. The saving grace were the moments of self-realisation during the middle of the night, but it is not enough to make this a must-read.