The book shines brightest however when Robinson is looking in the mirror, and his quest to understand himself better propels the narrative. His account of feeling painful physical inadequacy before other men is a case in point. On the way to buy a fish and chip supper in Margate, a group of lads heckle him. He ignores them and walks on, but even after the incident, his mood becomes increasingly volcanic. “In my head I was playing reels of action: ‘You f***ing c***s, come on then, I’ll f***ing kill you’”.
