Comments on: Review: The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim – Jonathan Coe

By: Roselle

Roselle — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:03:08 +0000

I’m also a fan of Coe. I was so pleased to find this site, by the way. Thanks!

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:31:45 +0000

Roselle – thanks for visiting. I know what you mean about the ending but for me, I found it quite amusing. The whole book is quite clever – but then I am a Jonathan Coe fan, ever since reading his early novel House of Sleep

By: Roselle

Roselle — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:47:28 +0000

I really enjoyed this book until the final chapter, which I think is a rather self-indulgent ‘Look how clever I am’ literary device. I wish authors would stop doing this kind of thing and that editors would put their foot down on it too. Ian McEwan’s Atonement also suffered from self-referential author disease. We don’t need reminding that the characters are in the hands of the author; we know we are reading fiction.

By: The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim by Jonathan Coe « Bibliojunkie

The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim by Jonathan Coe « Bibliojunkie — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:43:43 +0000

[...] A Common Reader: Five and half stars if that’s possible. Its not often I can say that a book has been a wholly satisfying read, but I found it very difficult to put this book down. It was another book which I raced through with no sense of boredom or tedium, and it passed my classic test of literary engagement – do I miss the characters when I’ve finished the book? Yes, I regretted Maxwell going forever out of my life when I turned the final page and would have liked to have found out what happened next. [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:31:45 +0000

Chris – I’m not sure my thoughts are worth more than anyone elses, but I’m rather scared of spoiling them for others. However, the “meet the author” scenario is not unique to Coe and is generally thought of as “post modern”. Look it up on Wikipedia and you’ll see what I mean

By: chris

chris — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:43:06 +0000

I loved the ending, and would be very interested to read your thoughts on it.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:21:40 +0000

Kinna Reads – thanks for visiting! Its a great book, very readable

By: Kinna Reads

Kinna Reads — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:26:41 +0000

Well, I’m intrigued. Haven’t read anything by Coe but will add this to my wishlist. Great review.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:02:17 +0000

Annabel (gaskelly) Thanks for visiting – I think those who like Coe will really appreciate this book. I just hope I’ve not over-egged it!

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:01:16 +0000

Max, thanks for visiting. The ending is a sort of twist on pomo, but I think Coe would prefer to see it as clever end rather than anything pretentious. I’m really sorry I can’t write about it, but it would totally wreck the book. I think its 5.5 stars on readability alone, although perhaps its not as “literary” as some.