The English participant, Philip Swallow, is a very conventional and conformist British academic and somewhat in awe of the American way of life.

As the exchange progresses, Swallow and Zapp find that they begin to fit in surprisingly well to their new environments.

The book ends with the two couples convened in a New York hotel room to decide their fates.

The novel ends without a clear-cut decision, though the sequel Small World: An Academic Romance, reveals that Swallow and Zapp returned to their home countries and domestic situations.

David Lodge has stated that the character of Morris Zapp was inspired by the literary critic Stanley Fish.