John Beaver
John Beaver is the catalyst for the tragedies that unfold in the lives of those around him. In this regard he is actually rather bad luck. He is a twenty five year old young man with no drive or direction in his life; after losing his job at an advertising agency he has not been employed and other people seem to be more engaged in finding him a position than he is. He is a "free-loader" and waits for invitations from others to host him. He makes new friends easily but these are surface friendships and consequently have little depth or loyalty. This is one of the reasons he feels no remorse in having an affair with his friend's wife.He becomes the talk of the town but seems unperturbed by this.
Brenda Last
Brenda is married to Beaver's "friend" Tony and is rather unfulfilled lining in the country. She is immediately infected with the London bug when she arrives there and is also infatuated with Beaver. She is the type of woman who stamps her foot and gets what she wants. When she asks for a divorce it is up to her husband and not her to facilitate this. She is also brutal in her timing; as they mourn their son she informs Tony that their marriage is over. Although her behavior causes him to deny her this his disappearance at the end of the novel gives her what she wants and she is free to marry another ofTony's friends, Jock Grant-Menzies.
Tony Last
Tony is the most sympathetic character in the novel and it seems that many of the disasters that befall him are not of his own doing. He generously allows Beaver to come and stay at his family home and is related by Beaver starting an affair with his wife. He is almost too amenable at times, trying to prove that he is having an affair in order to give her a divorce, ultimately refusing to after learning more about the woman he has been married to. Tony ultimately suffers an enormous wrong when he is to all intents and purposes kidnapped and his death assumes even whilst he is still alive and in need of rescue.
Mrs Beaver
John's mother is a long-suffering parent who whilst recognizing the character flaws in her shiftless son nonetheless continues to support him and enable him to steal his friend's wife. She is friendly towards Brenda and encourages her to socialize but is unaware that Brenda has turned into a party girl and a staple of the social circuit.
Jock Grant Menzies
Jock is a great friend of Tony's and a constant presence at Hetton Abbey. It seems that he has always been attracted to Brenda and it is he who travels to London to tell her that her little son has been killed. His adoration of Brenda is ultimately rewarded when the two marry after Tony is declared dead.
