It's always astonishing to me when I'm exposed to a book I would never have picked up and find myself lost in it, and that's the very reason I have been working my way through the 1001 Books list.

In UNDER THE NET Jake Donaghue is a failure of a writer, a bum, a leech on his friends and, despite being an adult, views the world almost as a child does. He never thinks an action through to the consequence, he treats his friendships lightly - taking them for granted or doing stupid, silly things to sabotage them.

This book isn't about action and adventure. It's a slow, quietly witty journey through a period in Jake's life. It explores friendships, loves, jobs and heartbreaks. It has quiet humor - in fact, in a way this book reminds me of the few Nick Hornby books I've read (minus the language).

Despite being written in the 50's, UNDER THE NET is not dated and it's very easy to relate the story to modern day times. It's a short novel - so if you are worried that a meandering journey might be something that would bore you don't worry... it'll hold your interest and give you a good dose of philosophy to boot.