The Terrible Privacy Of Maxwell Sim

Paperback Published on: 25/06/2026
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
Coe is one of our most important comic novelists. Most fanous for What A Carve Up! and The Rotter's Club, his whole ouvre is well worth exploring. This nov... READ MORE
Jon W

Synopsis

'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

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.

***

Written with his signature wit and warmth, Jonathan Coe's unmissable new novel, LESSONS IN HARMONY is available for pre-order now!

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
  • ISBN: 9780241967775
  • Number of pages: 352
  • Dimensions: 197 x 129 x 22 mm
  • Weight: 244g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim
The most boring book i have read all year!
I ordered this book for our november book club so was obliged to read it to the end. I can only liken it with being stuck in a lift with the biggest bore o... READ MORE
bengi