A friend of mine who is currently in the throes of nicotine withdrawal had finally realised that I was growing weary of his constant attempts to communicate the trauma of trying to break this pernicious addiction. In one final effort to bring me to an understanding of the task he had undertaken, he handed me a copy of X20, by Richard Beard (Flamingo, £9.99 in UK). This is not a self-help guide for those who wish to give up smoking. It is a work of fiction in which the protagonist resolves to write something - in order to keep his hands occupied - each time his craving for nicotine returns. One could refer to the narrative as having a post-modern structure - certainly it is imaginative, if confusing. However, the strength of the writing manages to transmit the despair of the addict who wants to escape the stranglehold of tobacco. My friend, the well of my sympathy is replenished!