I have a lot of Michael Palin's books, his travelogues as well as the Python Diaries. So when I saw the small paperback Hemingway's Chair in an opportunity shop, I thought that a $2 price was not much to ask.
Written in 1995, it was his first novel. It was indeed a strange little book, with the "hero" Martin Sproale more of an anti-hero whose well ordered life quickly unravels when his beloved local post office is threatened with change. The storyline is ragged, jumping from one thing to another, and finishing with a relatively unsatisfactory end.
But it's an easy read and should only take you a couple of days.
The most wonderful thing about the book was learning so much about writer Ernest Hemingway. Palin has obviously done lots of homework here (perhaps he is a fan?). I would say I enjoyed the first half but found the second half unsatisfactory.
Overall, 3 stars out of 5.
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