Increasingly desultory in his storytelling, Mr. Shteyngart seems content simply to lob one crisis after another at his hapless hero.

He is adept at creating violent set pieces in which to involve his hapless hero, herald William Harley.

Stan plays the hapless hero, who after being thrown out onto the street for not paying his rent, is befriended by a stray dog.

Furniture is strewn down the road, but there is no sign of the hapless hero.

The hapless hero receives a reward, and also the girl.

He thrust his hapless heroes - teachers, engineers and writers - into a world of political intrigue.

Yorikiro Wataro, the hapless hero.

Hence Area Man, the hapless hero of the Onion universe, the featureless fellow from around here who still makes headlines after all these years.

The hapless hero, Tom Tullis, is supposed to be "the most hated and feared gossipmonger in the civilized world."

As repellent as it is ridiculous, this unnecessary, needlessly graphic scene sets the story and its hapless hero on a further downward spiral.