The Escape (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780312681135)

'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 twentieth 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.

About the Author

Adam Thirlwell was born in London in 1978. He is the author of two novels, Politics, and The Escape. In 2003, Granta listed him among its 20 best young British novelists. His much-praised book on the international art of the novel, The Delighted States, won the Somerset Maugham Award in 2008. His work has been translated into 30 languages.