Un kad Tobijs Salts/Enemy No 1 mīklaini pazūd, Braiena problēmām - nespēja uzrakstīt neko jēdzīgu, darba zaudēšana, sarežģītas attiecības ar pusauga dēlu, kurš, šķiet, labāk saprotas ar savas mātes jauno bojfrendu/seriālo iedvesmotāju, pievienojas arī policijas apciemojumi un nedabiskā interese par viņa dienasgrāmatu.

In 1892, George and Weedon Grossmith published The Diary of a Nobody, now a classic of comic writing. I love Brian Bilston's poetry and have often pictured us (well, me and a shapeless figure I assume to be him) riding off into the sunset together. However, by the middle of the book the too-clever-by-half poems and incessant painting of Brian as a hapless Some mother's do 'ave 'em sad-sack began to pall. At work, burdened by spreadsheets and corporate speak, he feels his self-esteem thinning by the day: “I spend my time multi-slacking … slowly fading into jobsolescence.This deserves to become a classic, not just in the genre “poetic novel” or comedy, but in 21st century fiction full stop. If you have a friend who's brilliant at telling jokes but who spends all evening relentlessly bombarding you with punchlines you'll know what I mean. It's hilarious, sad, clever and it is full of poetry that makes the reader delight in the obvious enjoyment that went into writing it. I saw Brian Bilston giving a reading in Grasmere and he was very entertaining and likeable so I would have liked to have enjoyed this book but after about 30 pages this stopped and by 60 pages I was just irritated. He sinks deeper and deeper into a state of lethargy, with only the cat for company, and his funny and sometimes subversive poems to lighten his mood.

And yet I don’t think it’s an outstanding book, let alone, as the publisher’s blurb claims, “the most original novel you will read this or any year”. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. If he is to regain his reputation and to have a chance of winning Liz, he must find out what has happened to Toby before it is too late. The plot is familiar - washed-up middle-aged guy is out of step with family, work and the wider world, but finds companionship and finally redemption through poetry and books.The witticisms came thick and fast, sometimes so many punchlines in a row that at times I felt rather, um, punched. If you like wordplay, puns and funny poetry, put Brian Bilston’s Diary of a Somebody on your wishlist. In fact, when I picked it up I wasn't entirely sure what to expect even then, only that I loved the idea of the unique concept of it.

I good book you will finish, a great book you will talk about, but amazing book will make you want to read more. I laughed all the way through it; the perfect antidote to the strange and anxious times we are living through.

or Kingsley Amis’s Lucky Jim; or it may be lit up by a character of memorable monstrousness (Elizabeth Taylor’s Angel Deverell in Angel, Philip Roth’s Mickey Sabbath in Sabbath’s Theater … name your favourite).

So maybe you should also read this novel in short bursts, pausing to savour its individual brilliancies, such as this tweet on Star Wars Day: “Her name was Yoda / A show girl she was. The idea of him writing a poem every day for a year, sounded like a fun read, and to be fair, I actually did enjoy most of the poems. William Hartston * Daily Express * Word play, laugh-out-loud poems and the deft skewering of office life are part of the fun in this brilliant comic debut. It has a sardonic edge that really appeals to my sense of humour and it's just a pleasure from start to finish.I've never read poetry before, but this book has a story with a little poetry thrown in, that will make you laugh and make you cry. He finds it difficult in his depressed state to engage with his teenage son Dylan who visits once a week. Ignore the "poetry" label - Bilston's witty verse is clever, silly, contemporary, wise and light and is only a small (but delicious) ingredient in this diary format adventure. With more than 400,000 followers on social media, Brian has become truly beloved by the online community. Nobody must find out about this unique gem, because I'm giving it to EVERYONE, and I want to appear clever and discerning.