peersnide (aka trotsky)

An antiquarian book assessor for a major London auction house, he bears a striking resemblance to the pre-icepick Leon Trotsky. Peersnide has made his life a triumph of underachievement and indulges in all the pity and self-hate that comes with it. His one saving fantasy is that he is really a spy. In fact he is marginally employed by MI5, as a ‘Fink’, a ‘Vinculum’, a specialist informant, in his field of books. When he spots the last copy of ‘Making Love’ he sees his opportunity to join military intelligence full-time.