The hilarious and critically acclaimed national bestseller; A New York Times notable book of the year

"The 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

"What impresses most about Hemingway's Chair is [Palin's] firm command over the basic craft of novel-writing. His book is well-paced, his prose carefully-hewn, his characters fully developed and convincingly human. And his comic timing is impeccable." --Washington Post

"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. He 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.