The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim is Jonathan Coe's latest heart-breaking and hilarious novel

Maxwell Sim could be any of us. He could be you.

He's about to have a mid-life crisis (though eh doesn't know it yet). He'll be found in his car in the north of Scotland, half-naked and alone, suffering hypothermia, with a couple of empty whisky bottles and a boot full of toothbrushes.

It's a far cry from a restaurant in Sydney, where his story starts.

But then Maxwell Sim has, unknowingly, got a long way to go. If he knew now about his lonely journey to the Shetland Isles, or the truth about his father and the folded photograph, or the mystery of Poppy and her peculiar job, or even about Emma's lovely, fading voice, then perhaps he's stay where he was - hiding from destiny.

But Max knows none of it. And nor do you - at least not yet. . .

Equal parts funny and moving, The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim will be cherished by readers everywhere, from fans of David Nicholls to Will Self.

'Witty, unexpected and curiously unsettling. Coe carries it off with empathy, comedy and a ventriloquist's ear for idiom' Literary Review

'Clever, engaging, spring-loaded with mysteries and surprises' Time Out

'Masterly, highly engaging. Coe's eye for the details of contemporary life remains as sharp as ever' Daily Mail

About the Author
Jonathan Coe was born a few miles from Bournville in 1961. The author of political satires such as What a Carve Up! and Number 11, and family sagas such as The Rotters' Club and The Rain Before It Falls, his novels have won prizes at home and abroad, including Costa Novel of the Year and the Prix du Livre Europeen (both for Middle England).

Reviews
Cunningly plotted, extremely well-written and very, very funny * Daily Telegraph *
As funny and as well-written as you'd expect. It is archly and artfully structured too * Prospect *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241967775
Author Jonathan Coe
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 245g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 21mm