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.