Alfred Day - a young man caught up in conflict. A sort of cross between the Good Soldier Svejk and Oedipus, with a dash of Dad's Army. And that's not to mention the rest of his crew, who have escaped from - who knows? But they are all completely bonkers. And then there's Joyce, with whom he has a not so brief encounter.
There is nothing quite like this book, so if you're up for a reading adventure, give it a go.