Hemingway's Chair

A New York Times Notable Book of the Year: "Throughout, Palin's empathetic humor informs this perceptive tribute to the art of manliness." —Entertainment Weekly


Martin Sproale is an assistant postmaster obsessed with Ernest Hemingway. Martin lives in a small English village, where he studies his hero and putters about harmlessly—until an ambitious outsider, Nick Marshall, is appointed postmaster instead of Martin. Slick and self-assured, Nick steals Martin's girlfriend and decides to modernize the friendly local office by firing dedicated but elderly employees and privatizing the business. Suddenly, gentle Martin is faced with a choice: meekly accept defeat as he always has, or fight for what he believes in, as his hero, Hemingway, would.



Filled with Michael Palin's trademark wit and good humor, this novel is for anyone who has ever dreamed of triumphing over the technocrats and backstabbers of the world. Hilarious, touching, and ultimately inspirational, Hemingway's Chair will make readers stand up and cheer.


"His book is well paced, his prose, carefully hewn, his characters fully developed and convincingly human. And his comic timing is impeccable." —The Washington Post

"This book's strengths are . . . its dry, deftly, understated wit, its careful plot and character construction; its clever, on-the-money dialogue . . . Those pleasures carry you a long way." —The New York Times Book Review

"The spirit of Hemingway is evident in Palin's prose." —The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

"Funnyman Palin brings a light touch to this yarn, treating his characters and their many weaknesses with an affection that will have readers rooting for his unlikely hero." —Publishers Weekly