The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim. Jonathan Coe [Paperback]

It's pretty unusual to read a coming-of-age novel about a 48 year old man. But, that seems to be what Coe has given us. We travel with Maxwell from London to the Shetland Islands. Or, that was the plan. We may not get to see those famous ponies and Shelties

Maxwell isn't really someone I'd want as a friend. He seems to be more like someone who needs to be claimed from a shelter - for a pet. While that sounds cruel, it isn't. He just needs a keeper; or, perhaps, a trainer.

Coe writes in a very low key manner that just kind of gets us to each stage of the book in its own good time. We aren't rushed or challenged by the book, but sit in the back seat while Maxwell follows his "made up as he went" agenda.

If the Product Description (above) piques your interest, and you like to chuckle at the foibles and inadequacies of others (this is fiction), then give this a try. You don't have to drive too many miles each day and can spend your nights in decent surroundings. You don't even need to bring a toothbrush.

I'm going to check out some of Jonathan Coe's other books.

The titular character of this low-key character study is an Englishman in his late 40s who has been understandably mired in deep depression for the six months since his wife and teenage daughter left him. He's an epically milquetoast fellow who seems perpetually three steps slower than the modern world, and whose job (customer service clerk for a department store returns division) is a very telling marker of his absolute meaninglessness. He's the kind of guy who, when he does start sharing his interior life, does so with spectacular ineptitude.

The book opens promisingly enough, with him about to return from a visit to his father in Australia. Minor adventures ensue on the flights home, and he meets an interesting young woman who introduces him to the story of Donald Crowhurst. (He was an amateur sailor who disappeared while competing in a "round-the-world" race in 1969. Although he was judged to be the winner, later examination showed that his logbooks and records had been falsified, and that he was clearly going insane, and probably committed suicide.) Upon his return to England, Maxwell Sim is hired by an old friend to participate in a promotional road-trip to publicize a new line of toothbrushes. Thus, he embarks on his own solo journey toward madness, with the voices in his head coming from his on-board navigation system.

The terrible privacy of the title is essentially loneliness, and Coe appears to be trying to criticize the new modes of social networking and communication (Facebook, texting, etc.) that have grown ubiquitous in the last ten years but have not necessarily improved our ability to truly connect as humans. The book also has a secondary critique of the McDonaldsization of the Western world, as all places become interchangeable combinations of franchise locations. Unfortunately, neither message carries with it any great insight or particular depth or resonance. Nothing Coe has to say on either topic is new or noteworthy, and even worse, Max is a fairly unsympathetic and tedious protagonist for most of the book.

I generally like Coe's writing, and I absolutely loved What a Carve Up! and The Rotters' Club, but this one is a dud. There are some grand revelations at the end that feel cheap in that kind of movie plot way, the one or two key secrets that explain all the angst and unhappiness of a life. Real life is generally more complicated and nuanced than that. There's also an annoying metafictional coda chapter involving the author, which is really best left unread. There are scenes here and there that will remind Coe's fans of some of his best writing, but these are too few and unconnected to the main narrative to rescue this ill-conceived book.

In February of 2009, at the age of 48, Maxwell Sim realizes he is utterly alone. His wife and daughter left him six months before. His relationship with his father is distant and aloof. Neither seems capable of establishing any real connection with the other. His mother died years ago; she was younger than he is now. Upon reflection, it seems he has not bothered to maintain any real friendships. He has been off from work since his wife left, suffering chronic depression. Through an old acquaintance, he is offered a temporary marketing position with a toothbrush company. His assignment is to travel alone by car to the Shetland Islands to sell the company's newest product. He takes the opportunity to attempt to reconnect with some people from his past. "The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim" is divided into the stages of his trip across Britain.

Max's journey is a dark but compelling one. It's a mistake to assume that he's the representative "everyman" exploring isolation in the digital age. His story is uniquely his own (even if there are broader implications for everyone). The average individual is almost assuredly better equipped to face loneliness than is the protagonist. Max's psyche is fractured and tormented. He lacks any self-determined identity and plunges headlong into despair and toward madness. His choices are rarely rational. His interpersonal interactions are labored and fraught with difficulty and misunderstanding. His journey is absolutely harrowing. Will he find a meaningful connection? Will he discover something of himself? Or will he lose himself forever... lost in a sea of humanity?

Coe's storytelling is quite engaging and entertaining. The narration, from Max's point of view, is easygoing and the prose fluid. There is a strange addendum at the end of the story (at least in the advance-reader edition). Although interesting and instructive in its way, its inclusion is also unsettling and detracts from the story itself. It can also be difficult to identify with Max occasionally because his tendencies are frequently so extreme. Regardless, with some surprises along the way, his tale is fascinating and well worth experiencing.

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