The Escape (Unabridged‪)‬

The more I knew of Haffner, writes Adam Thirlwell in The Escape, the more real he became, this was true. And, simultaneously, Haffner disappeared.

In a forgotten spa town snug in the Alps, at the end of the 20th century, Haffner is seeking a cure, more women, and a villa that belonged to his late wife. But really he is trying to escape: from his family, his lovers, his history, his entire Haffnerian condition. For Haffner is 78. Haffner, in other words, is too old to be grown up.

Adam Thirlwell was born in 1978. He is the author of Politics, The Escape, Miss Herbert, and Kapow. He was named as one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2003 and again in 2013. He lives in London.