Meeting Mungo Thunk

Synopsis

A laugh-out-loud tale of love, life lessons, and an odd little man named Mungo Thunk.

Bathroom scales were not an appropriate gift for his fiancée’s birthday … apparently.

Ever since he ate seven pickled gherkins for lunch at school, and subsequently shat himself during a maths lesson, Adam Maxwell has been cursed by a lack of common sense.

Now in his early thirties, that lack of common sense is about to throw Adam’s life into turmoil after one particularly ill-judged decision backfires … with disastrous consequences.

As Adam begins a rapid descent towards rock bottom, a strange little man by the name of Mungo Thunk enters his life. However, not everything about Mungo Thunk is as it first seems. After insisting Adam can rediscover his common sense by agreeing to an unorthodox brand of therapy, the two set about dealing with a raft of challenges.

Can Adam trust the mysterious stranger to fix his thinking and get his life back on track? Or, will he come to rue the day he invited Mungo Thunk into his life?

About This Book

Meeting Mungo Thunk is a British comic novel about a well-meaning but hopelessly impulsive man called Adam Maxwell whose life unravels after one bad decision too many. When a mysterious, bald little stranger called Mungo Thunk turns up offering an unorthodox brand of therapy, Adam reluctantly agrees — and what follows is funny, surprisingly touching, and genuinely thought-provoking.

It’s not quite self-help, not quite fantasy, and not quite a love story — but somehow it’s all three. Beneath the laugh-out-loud comedy, there’s a story about growing up, taking responsibility, and learning to think before you act. Readers frequently describe it as one of those rare books that made them laugh and then quietly changed the way they look at their own behaviour.

Mungo Thunk himself is one of Keith’s most enigmatic characters — a strange figure with apparent supernatural abilities whose true identity will keep you guessing until the very end.

Who Is This Book For?

Meeting Mungo Thunk appeals to readers who enjoy British comedy with heart, character-driven stories about personal transformation, and fiction that makes you think as well as laugh. It’s a great fit if you like books that blend humour with life lessons without ever feeling preachy.

Readers often compare it to the tone of Nick Hornby and Mike Gayle, with something a bit more mysterious thrown in. If you enjoyed the Clement series for its unlikely mentor figure, Mungo Thunk scratches a similar itch — though the two characters couldn’t be more different.

The Thunk Series

Meeting Mungo Thunk is the first of two books featuring the character. The sequel, The Way We Thunk, was published in 2023 and follows Mungo as he enters the life of a different person in need of help. The Way We Thunk works as a standalone, but is best enjoyed after reading Meeting Mungo Thunk first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Meeting Mungo Thunk a self-help book?
No — it’s a novel. But it’s a novel that cleverly wraps genuine insights about human behaviour inside a funny, engaging story. Several readers have said it changed the way they think, which is quite something for a book that opens with a man shitting himself in a maths lesson.

Is there a supernatural element?
Yes, though it’s handled with a light touch. Mungo Thunk isn’t quite what he appears to be, and part of the fun is working out exactly who — or what — he is. It’s more magical realism than fantasy.

Is this book connected to the Clement series or The ’86 Fix?
No. Meeting Mungo Thunk is a standalone story (with a sequel) and has no connection to Keith’s other series.

Who narrates the audiobook?
The audiobook is narrated by Stewart Crank and is available on Audible and other audiobook platforms.

Is it suitable for younger readers?
It’s aimed at adults, though there’s nothing graphic. The humour is sometimes crude (see: the gherkin incident) and the themes of relationship breakdown and personal failure are best appreciated by a grown-up audience.