Quentin, an ordinary man, living in Sydney, working in a restaurant, is insightful, whereas others are not. He tries his 'experiment': what does it mean to alter one's usual dealings with other people? It's an insurrection one can only regret, but Quentin does this to try to be worth more to his fellow man.
He is living in a house of shared accommodation and all is well, until a young woman moves in, and he immediately knows this heralds the end of his satisfactory circumstances. His long-term girlfriend, Julie, is doing well, but he is not.
After winding up in several sexual scrapes that he regrets, he decides to travel overseas.
But in the global village, this puts paid to all his nebulous plans for self-realization, except perhaps for the pearl of an idea.
Michael Haig is a master: every word is a blow against mediocrity for a better way of living. Whether highbrow, low, or middle, he has it covered.