Tony is a wealthy, traditional Englishman who cherishes his large, unfashionable ancestral home, Hetton Abbey. Content with his quiet country life, he adheres strictly to the social etiquette and routines of his class, often feeling obligated to maintain his expensive estate despite financial strain. He is thoroughly disconnected from his wife's growing boredom and prefers rural isolation over entertaining guests from London.

Brenda is Tony's privileged wife who finds her life in the country overwhelmingly dull and unfulfilling. Yearning for excitement and novelty, she actively seeks distraction from her mundane marriage and the isolated estate she secretly despises. Her desire for social engagement and a more vibrant lifestyle drives her to spend increasing amounts of time in London under various pretexts.

John Beaver is an unemployed young man who moves on the absolute periphery of London's upper-class social scene. Living with his hardworking mother, he relies on last-minute invitations to access the wealthy circles he desperately wishes to join. He is notorious among his peers for his extreme frugality and transactional approach to social relationships.

John is the eight-year-old son of Tony and Brenda. Enthusiastic and highly excitable, he is immune to the rigors of class politics that preoccupy his parents. He adores horses and looks forward to participating in the local fox hunt, often imitating the working-class speech of his riding instructor much to his father's dismay.

John Beaver's mother is a pragmatic, hardworking middle-class woman who runs her own interior design business. Widowed and forced into the workplace, she exhibits an ingenuity and determination that contrast sharply with the idleness of the wealthy elite her son desperately courts.

Jock is a politician and a close friend to Tony. He shares Tony's social class, club memberships, and general worldview, frequently serving as a sounding board and drinking companion during Tony's occasional visits to London.

Ben is the working-class riding instructor and general handyman at Hetton Abbey. He is deeply admired by young John, though Tony frequently worries about Ben's coarse linguistic influence on the boy.

The primary caretaker for John Andrew Last at Hetton Abbey. She is highly attentive to the boy and shares Tony's disapproval regarding the coarse influence of the estate's handyman on her young charge.

Brenda's sister who lives in London. She frequently provides a place for Brenda to stay during her trips to the city, though she looks down upon Brenda's social choices and finds John Beaver entirely unappealing.

A woman living in the London apartment next to Brenda's who introduces herself as Princess Abdul Akbar, claiming to have been married to a Moroccan prince. She affects a dramatic persona marked by past sadness and actively seeks to entertain those around her.

An American woman and an acquaintance of Jock Grant-Menzies. She brings a serene, modern detachment to the traditional and stuffy environment of the Last family's estate.

A working-class woman who frequents a London establishment. She is highly practical about her life and fiercely attached to her young daughter, bringing a distinctly different perspective to the wealthy men who hire her for company.

Milly's young daughter. She is demanding, energetic, and completely indifferent to the complex adult situations unfolding around her, preferring instead to focus on visiting the beach.

Brenda's brother and an academic who is far more interested in archeology than in London's social scene. He acts as an intermediary for his family when serious matters regarding wealth and marital settlements arise.

The mother of Brenda, Marjorie, and Reggie. She is a figure of the traditional upper class, highly concerned with the proper management and reputation of her family's affairs.

An explorer preparing for a demanding journey to the Amazon rainforest to search for a legendary lost city. He relies on careful mapmaking and rationing to survive the treacherous environment.

An eighteen-year-old woman returning to Trinidad after being educated in Paris. Her presence and impending marriage provide a source of light entertainment and gossip for her fellow passengers on the long voyage.

A local woman in South America who is the only person in her village capable of speaking English. She acts as an essential guide and translator for foreign explorers attempting to hire local labor.

An illiterate man of mixed heritage who has lived in the Amazon for nearly sixty years. He wields complete authority in his remote village and possesses an intense, overwhelming love for the novels of Charles Dickens.

A Black Englishman who previously visited Mr. Todd's remote village. He spent his time there reading Dickens aloud to his host.

A young woman participating in the local hunt near Hetton Abbey. She finds herself in need of assistance when her horse becomes fretful on the roads.

A prominent hostess in the London social scene. Her parties serve as gathering places for the city's gossip-hungry elite, attracting both established wealth and those trying to climb the social ladder.