Gordon proclaims to all and sundry that he has waged a war on money, from this our bookshop assistant by day and struggling poet by night proceeds to judge all he comes across by the lucre in their pocket. One might suppose that a war on money would mean the shunning of the rulestick of those who have money measure those who do not, and instead judging them by content of their character and the positive impact their relationship has on Gordon's life, but not according to the man himself.
Instead we are led to believe that if you have money you are to be reviled for the ease in which you swan through the world and if you have no money you are to be despised for your lack of taste and your obvious lack of education. As capricious as Gordon is, he is quick to beat himself over the head with his standards as he is to others, when presented with the offer of friendship, food, or a daytrip he sneers at the offer and the sinks into self-loathing that he cannot be the one to be the provider.
One might assume reading the text that all of Gordon's problems arise from a lack of humility and a sense of entitlement, but is assures that every single of of his issues that beleaguer him from his kind and caring girlfriend wanting to wait before sleeping with him to a lucrative job offer in a marketing agency is down to a lack of money.
It is easy, so very easy, to deride and resent the man who is obviously the author of his own faults, one cannot help but sympathise with the wealthy friend who puts up with his obnoxious habit of constantly shaming and belittling him and will then go out of the way to protect him from his bad decisions, but I cannot help but confess feeling a little sympathy and pang of recognition in his behaviour. I, too, have been too proud to accept the help of friends, I cringe in seeing my own tendency of self-destructive habits that leave my friends quietly frustrated - frittering away money because I just want a taste of luxery after a hard days slog. I am grimly reminded that I possess talents that could be put to better use to create a better life for my family.
I have not read many novels that have an unlikeable protagonist, it makes it a difficult read, but it helped highlight some behaviours of my own that needed examining.