The Error World

The Error World is a funny, revealing memoir about Simon Garfield and the flawed nature of the universe - by way of mid-life crisis, male obsession, stamp collecting and love.

When he was very young, Simon Garfield lusted after rare stamps but could not afford them. But it is also a story of wooden legs, pornography in the Finchley Road, Pelé's World Cup shirt, the man who guards stamps for the Queen, and a woman who is terrified of the Post Office Tower.

When he was very young, Simon Garfield lusted after rare stamps but could not afford them. When he was older, the passion reignited with almost ruinous results. The Error World is an examination of obsession and desire, and the search for fulfilment. But it is also a story of wooden legs, pornography in the Finchley Road, Pelé's World Cup shirt, the man who guards stamps for the Queen, and a woman who is terrified of the Post Office Tower.