I Terribili Segreti Di Maxwell Sim (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I won’t mince matters. The terrible privacy of Maxwell Sim by Jonathan Coe is probably one of the best books I’ve ever read (that’s why I also gave it five stars). I have to admit that it’s had been a while since I enjoyed reading so much. To be honest, this books brought the pleasure of reading books, enjoying them, back to me. It was so engaging and enjoyable though the book is actually not about subjects that’ll make you happy. It is about this middle-aged man who’s called Maxwell Sim (surprise surprise!)and he’s completely down. His wife and daughter have left him, he loathes his job, his mother has died and his poetry loving father lives in Australia. In short, he’s terribly lonely. Soon, you start developing this huge sympathy for him though he’s not the most innocent man of all. The sympathy you feel is because of the excellent writing of Coe. The plot might sound or be a bit odd but in my opinion, it’s just plausible. Multiple times, I had the feeling I was reading an odd but hilarious autobiography(Sim himself is the narrator). The things Coe wrote down are so clear and understandable. His writing is not that basic but it definitely didn’t annoy me. I kept on turning the pages and I believe that’s what writers desire most. Good work, Coe!As the days pass by, he just keeps on falling down, living his dull life. He’s being sucked into a downward spiral. But then, there’s light! A small flicker of light caused by … toothbrushes, environment friendly toothbrushes. Maxwell decides to give his life a vast switch and starts working for a new company promoting wooden toothbrushes. For a new publicity campaign, he has to travel to the Shetland Isles, promoting the toothbrushes on his way and making a video-diary. On his way, he starts visiting people from his past and rather quickly, secrets get unfolded, he starts regretting things and Maxwell starts discovering the TRUTH. I won’t tell you anything more. Not because I’m as lazy as hell but because I don’t want to spoil anything of the exceptionally moving book. The well-conceived plot is the first reason I was and am so fond of the book. The other reason is because it’s so hilarious. Page after page, you discover witty remarks, jokes and so on … That’s what he is known for. I terribly liked the parts where Max is on the road and starts talking to his Satnav, he names Emma. Because of his loneliness, Max starts hallucinating and he’s having these hilarious conversations with Emma. This just proves that Coe has this large imagination. The book is not just about this person called Maxwell Sim and his horrible life where situations of coincidence pile up. Coe also captures about our f***** up society. The spirit of our world, how we live is processed multiple times in the book but … in a comical way. With these fantastic witty remarks about the way we handle and live, he slaps you right in the face … because, well … it’s just true. Well, I hope I was loud and clear enough for you to run over to the closest bookshop, get this book, isolate yourself, get lonely and get carried away by the terrible privacy of Maxwell Sim. Allora, libro strano, ho dovuto rimuginare per capire quale voto adeguato dare!Premesso che non conoscevo l'autore, non mi è dispiaciuto il suo stile di scrittura, tranne forse qualche espediente di scrittura strano verso la fine che non ho molto apprezzato (che non specifico per spoiler), anche perchè molto lungo ed eccessivo. è la trama che secondo me è carente, o almeno a me non è proprio piaciuta! Lenta, lentissima e noiosa all'inizio, si tira su nel mezzo anzi mi ha quasi appassionato, ma poi ricade sul finale, di nuovo lenta. E sopratutto non ho apprezzato il finale, ma forse per gusti personali. Per cui mi sembra corretto un 3 stelline,anche se magari non piene.
What do You think about I Terribili Segreti Di Maxwell Sim (2010)?
The characters did nothing for me and I found it hard to continue reading. Not my thing.
—markmichealpatrickfeehily
Zeer goed. Wordt stilaan fan van Coe. Volgende wordt The Rotters Club
—bombsquad
Quirky with an interesting twist. I talk to my Sat Nav too though...
—blue97
