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World Is Full of Married Men
ONLY FOOLS LET A LITTLE THING LIKE MARRIAGE GET IN THE WAY OF THEIR CAREERS...
ESPECIALLY SOMEONE ELSE'S...
David Cooper cheats on his wife. She doesn't know -- and that suits him fine. Until the young and beautiful Claudia appears and David wants out of his marriage.
But Claudia has different ideas -- different dreams: To be a model, an actress, a star. And she'll do anything to make it. Just name a price...
THE WORLD IS FULL OF MARRIED MEN is a devastating exposure of
the cut throat media business -- the phony promises and the very real power of the casting couch.
173 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
260 people are currently reading
1457 people want to read
About the author
Jackie Collins
227 books2,694 followersThere have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins can tell you what really goes on in the fastest lane of all. From Beverly Hills bedrooms to a raunchy prowl along the streets of Hollywood; from glittering rock parties and concerts to stretch limos and the mansions of power brokers-Jackie Collins chronicles the real truth from the inside looking out.
Jackie Collins has been called a "raunchy moralist" by the late director Louis Malle and "Hollywood's own Marcel Proust" by Vanity Fair magazine. With over 500 million copies of her books sold in more than forty countries, and with some 30 New York Times bestsellers to her credit, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling novelists. She is known for giving her readers an unrivalled insider's knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and infamous. "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down-the truth is much more bizarre."
Jackie Collins died of breast cancer Saturday, September 19, 2015. Jackie Collins, who had kept her illness secret, said recently that she believed in an afterlife, that she had no regrets and that she had emulated Frank Sinatra in that “I did it my way.”
Visit Jackie's website: www.jackiecollins.com
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/JackieJCollins
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jackiecollins and Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/jackiejcollins
Jackie Collins has been called a "raunchy moralist" by the late director Louis Malle and "Hollywood's own Marcel Proust" by Vanity Fair magazine. With over 500 million copies of her books sold in more than forty countries, and with some 30 New York Times bestsellers to her credit, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling novelists. She is known for giving her readers an unrivalled insider's knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and infamous. "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down-the truth is much more bizarre."
Jackie Collins died of breast cancer Saturday, September 19, 2015. Jackie Collins, who had kept her illness secret, said recently that she believed in an afterlife, that she had no regrets and that she had emulated Frank Sinatra in that “I did it my way.”
Visit Jackie's website: www.jackiecollins.com
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/JackieJCollins
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jackiecollins and Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/jackiejcollins
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
October 18, 2021
Reread. Review to follow.
I am a PROUD supporter of Jackie Collins. Rereading her is awesome! This is one I read decades ago but it stands up to the test of time!
I am a PROUD supporter of Jackie Collins. Rereading her is awesome! This is one I read decades ago but it stands up to the test of time!
January 26, 2023
“‘What do you want? We’ll go shopping tomorrow.’
‘I want, let me see now. I want a Ferrari, two mink coats, lots of diamonds, a beautiful penthouse in New York, and a villa on the Riviera!’ She started to laugh. ‘Can you afford me?’”
Say what you want about the main character, but the girl definitely knew how to shop.
August 23, 2021
My first novel by Jackie Collins. She is known to most as the Queen of Trash, which can be a compliment or a dig depending on your point of view. She certainly is that, but in addition, she is an extremely compelling story teller and a fierce sex positive queen who wrote unabashedly about female sexual desire at a time that it was considered unthinkable. What made this for me however was her wicked dark sense of humor. Her wit, her sense of the absurd, and her cutting satire are as fresh and crackling as if this had been written in the 21st century and this is the FIRST book she published, all the way back in 1968!!! Really enjoyed this and it lived up to everything I learned about her from the documentary LadyBoss that I just watched on Netflix about her life. She is certainly not going to be everyone’s cuppa but those who GET her I will call “The Happy Few” :)))
May 15, 2016
Kakav veličanstveni palp! Bez svake sumnje, romani Džeki Kolins su upravo onakvi kako ih je opisala Barbara Kartland - "nasty, filthy and disgusting". Ali, u tome je i poenta. Ljubavne romane ne čitam, osim ako se ne radi o klasicima sestara Bronte ili Džejn Ostin, ali Džeki baš ume da "pogodi žicu". "Svet je pun oženjenih muškaraca" je njen prvenac iz 1968. godine i lep uzorak onoga što njena proza nudi i uz Blic ženu ga možete nabaviti na trafikama po simboličnoj ceni od 230 dinara. Znam da ljudi obično Kolinsovu nazivaju treš piscem, ali se ne bih saglasio sa tom procenom. Ona je samosvesna i namerno pritiska papučicu za gas. Prema tome: ako volite vrhunski herc palp, Džeki je žena za vas.
November 11, 2018
I am a big fan of Jackie Collins and I have read a lot of her books. The world is full of married men is the first she had ever written and I was interested to see just how much her writing had developed since her first novel.
For me this book was too short, the finale is not as explosive as the other novels I have read from Jackie Collins and so became a bit of a disappointment. It is quite a simple story really, it is not too overcrowded with characters which sometimes her books can tend to be. I can see that this was a beginning to how she would build her novels up into these captivating, explosive and sordid stories about the rich and famous and indeed whilst reading this one I felt like she was only just getting started.
The book is written about David Cooper. He is a married man, rich and successful and of course having his cake and eating it. His fling Claudia Parker is a much more exciting character, and a lot more damaged. It is interesting to delve into the lives of the rich and famous, and how utterly shameful it can be. Reading this as a novel you wonder just how much of it is really fiction, what with the Harvey Weinstein debacle earlier this year it does leave a sickly feeling in the pit of your stomach as the “casting couch” scenes resemble those of what you hear in the media.
I did like the book, it wasn’t long enough for me though and I did tend to tire of the characters easily. There just wasn’t enough drama for a Jackie Collins novel. It is an easy read maybe to read around the pool or on the plane but nothing to rave about. It all just felt like it was leading up to something and then it finished. I actually exclaimed “Oh!” At the end, I did not realise that there was a snippet of another book at the end so it seemed there were lots more pages.
Overall 2 stars for this one, it was certainly good, but not her best!
For me this book was too short, the finale is not as explosive as the other novels I have read from Jackie Collins and so became a bit of a disappointment. It is quite a simple story really, it is not too overcrowded with characters which sometimes her books can tend to be. I can see that this was a beginning to how she would build her novels up into these captivating, explosive and sordid stories about the rich and famous and indeed whilst reading this one I felt like she was only just getting started.
The book is written about David Cooper. He is a married man, rich and successful and of course having his cake and eating it. His fling Claudia Parker is a much more exciting character, and a lot more damaged. It is interesting to delve into the lives of the rich and famous, and how utterly shameful it can be. Reading this as a novel you wonder just how much of it is really fiction, what with the Harvey Weinstein debacle earlier this year it does leave a sickly feeling in the pit of your stomach as the “casting couch” scenes resemble those of what you hear in the media.
I did like the book, it wasn’t long enough for me though and I did tend to tire of the characters easily. There just wasn’t enough drama for a Jackie Collins novel. It is an easy read maybe to read around the pool or on the plane but nothing to rave about. It all just felt like it was leading up to something and then it finished. I actually exclaimed “Oh!” At the end, I did not realise that there was a snippet of another book at the end so it seemed there were lots more pages.
Overall 2 stars for this one, it was certainly good, but not her best!
March 30, 2020
Fun book. More on it at : http://sleaze-factor.blogspot.ca/2013...
August 24, 2017
THE WORLD IS FULL OF MARRIED MEN is an overwhelming introduction of the ferocious media business - the imposter guarantees and the genuine energy of the throwing love seat. David Cooper undermines his better half. She doesn't cheat - and that suits him fine. Until the youthful and excellent Claudia shows up and David needs out of his marriage. In any case, Claudia has distinctive thoughts - diverse dreams: To be a model, an on-screen character, a star. Furthermore, she'll successfully make it. Simply name a cost... And the story goes on and on and on ...
August 15, 2021
Jackie Collins is a bit in the air at the moment. This Atlantic piece on the soft radicalism of her erotic fiction was dazzling -- check this:
Oh really?? I thought as I read, ravenously, about yet another massively successful woman on whom the world has looked down for nigh on five goddamn decades because her trade is... popular shit for ladies. Give me all the breaks!
Anyway, though my literary snobbery has been long and exhaustively documented, and despite truly never once thinking I might read a Collins book, I hastily ordered this, her début. And it was fine! I mean, it was good! I felt the same way as when I first got paid to proofread romance novels: I get it now. Her characters are spicy, the plot works well, her pacing is on point, the sexy scenes are sexy, the dialogue snappy, and though maybe there's a bit too much emphasis on makeup and descriptions of outfits, the book moves fast and is very fun.
So yes, I can certainly see why she managed to sell absolute buckets of books that are fun to read and easy to get through. I'd like to read another couple, though next I'll look probably for ones that are considered to be her stars, not just the very first thing she did. Anyone have recs, let me know!
Collins published 32 bestselling novels, characterized by their ballsy female characters, explicit bedroom scenes, and trenchant portrayals of the entertainment industry and its abuses of power. To read a Collins novel, as roughly half a billion of us humans have, is to know that sex and power are inextricable. No one mined the dynamics of both as astutely in the late 20th century as she did. (As she told The New York Times in 2007, “I published my first novel in 1968, when no one was writing about sex except Philip Roth.”)
Oh really?? I thought as I read, ravenously, about yet another massively successful woman on whom the world has looked down for nigh on five goddamn decades because her trade is... popular shit for ladies. Give me all the breaks!
Anyway, though my literary snobbery has been long and exhaustively documented, and despite truly never once thinking I might read a Collins book, I hastily ordered this, her début. And it was fine! I mean, it was good! I felt the same way as when I first got paid to proofread romance novels: I get it now. Her characters are spicy, the plot works well, her pacing is on point, the sexy scenes are sexy, the dialogue snappy, and though maybe there's a bit too much emphasis on makeup and descriptions of outfits, the book moves fast and is very fun.
So yes, I can certainly see why she managed to sell absolute buckets of books that are fun to read and easy to get through. I'd like to read another couple, though next I'll look probably for ones that are considered to be her stars, not just the very first thing she did. Anyone have recs, let me know!
February 19, 2024
1968 and the world was introduced to what was soon known as ‘The Bonkbuster’
A story that gave a glimpse into the glamorous lives and loves of the rich and famous in Hollywood and abroad.
Sex, drugs and sometimes rock and roll and banned in certain countries, these books topped the bestseller lists and made the author a global celebrity.
Jackie Collins was a worldwide phenomenon and her books were on everyone’s lips.
A scandalous expose of life in the most luxurious locations was the agenda for most of her books and the celebrity world would wonder if they were inspired by certain characters but Jackie would never reveal the identities.
She wrote 32 bestselling books and created a list of iconic characters and was loved by many in the book world.
Sadly she passed away in 2015.
The World Is Full Of Married Men was the novel that started it all.
A tale of sex, power, infidelity, money, manipulation and intrigue set in London in the media business where wealth and influence are everything.
Meet Linda Cooper, a wife and mother who is suspicious of her husband David.
David is obsessed with the sexy model Claudia Parker.
But Claudia has her own plan, she wants to be a star.
And will do anything to make it happen.
It’s a great read, though some of it has dated and it’s true to the era but I thoroughly enjoyed going back in time for a reread.
I’ve always been a very big fan of Jackie’s books and I’m keen to revisit many of my favourites of hers as I have read them all.
A story that gave a glimpse into the glamorous lives and loves of the rich and famous in Hollywood and abroad.
Sex, drugs and sometimes rock and roll and banned in certain countries, these books topped the bestseller lists and made the author a global celebrity.
Jackie Collins was a worldwide phenomenon and her books were on everyone’s lips.
A scandalous expose of life in the most luxurious locations was the agenda for most of her books and the celebrity world would wonder if they were inspired by certain characters but Jackie would never reveal the identities.
She wrote 32 bestselling books and created a list of iconic characters and was loved by many in the book world.
Sadly she passed away in 2015.
The World Is Full Of Married Men was the novel that started it all.
A tale of sex, power, infidelity, money, manipulation and intrigue set in London in the media business where wealth and influence are everything.
Meet Linda Cooper, a wife and mother who is suspicious of her husband David.
David is obsessed with the sexy model Claudia Parker.
But Claudia has her own plan, she wants to be a star.
And will do anything to make it happen.
It’s a great read, though some of it has dated and it’s true to the era but I thoroughly enjoyed going back in time for a reread.
I’ve always been a very big fan of Jackie’s books and I’m keen to revisit many of my favourites of hers as I have read them all.
March 16, 2015
Oh my gooooood! This book was the most amazing piece of trash I have read in a long time. Not since Valley of the Dolls has a book made me feel so scummy and awesome. I highly recommend.
January 30, 2024
Literally the worst book I've ever read
March 12, 2017
Okay, I confess this was a first read of this book for me. It was in fact Jackie Collins’ first book. So I was happy when the fabulous JC fan, Voracious, suggested a buddy read :)
She’s one of my all time favourite authors, in fact. However when she passed away in 2015 after a secret battle with breast cancer, I was so devastated so much that I couldn’t pick up any of her books. I’d almost read all of them aside from I think maybe 4? But in fact she’s definitely one of my most re read authors.
“The World is Full of Married Men” is typical Jackie Collins, full of rich, vain, shallow but fabulous characters full of witty lines and spontaneous activities.
Claudia made me laugh, I admired her for her attitude towards marriage and not wanting to get tied down, especially for the times, and when women were likely expected to marry and have kids and what not. I hope she makes an appearance in the follow up novel to this, “The World Is Full of Divorced Women”.
The character I was cheering for most throughout this book was Linda. She is so lovely and put up with so much bullcrap from David, I’m glad she finally found happiness by the end of this book.
David. The typical egomaniac cheating asshat of a character in a JC novel, but I didn’t hate him because oh gosh his last part in the book made me laugh a big “HA!” Serves him right, he sacrificed his cozy marriage to Linda only to put himself in a stickier and potentially problematic situation.
This, like many other of this authors’ novels is fast paced and exciting and satisfying! Full of wit, wickedness and coziness, one can never go wrong with Jackie C!
She’s one of my all time favourite authors, in fact. However when she passed away in 2015 after a secret battle with breast cancer, I was so devastated so much that I couldn’t pick up any of her books. I’d almost read all of them aside from I think maybe 4? But in fact she’s definitely one of my most re read authors.
“The World is Full of Married Men” is typical Jackie Collins, full of rich, vain, shallow but fabulous characters full of witty lines and spontaneous activities.
Claudia made me laugh, I admired her for her attitude towards marriage and not wanting to get tied down, especially for the times, and when women were likely expected to marry and have kids and what not. I hope she makes an appearance in the follow up novel to this, “The World Is Full of Divorced Women”.
The character I was cheering for most throughout this book was Linda. She is so lovely and put up with so much bullcrap from David, I’m glad she finally found happiness by the end of this book.
David. The typical egomaniac cheating asshat of a character in a JC novel, but I didn’t hate him because oh gosh his last part in the book made me laugh a big “HA!” Serves him right, he sacrificed his cozy marriage to Linda only to put himself in a stickier and potentially problematic situation.
This, like many other of this authors’ novels is fast paced and exciting and satisfying! Full of wit, wickedness and coziness, one can never go wrong with Jackie C!
November 7, 2021
I think it's not my first read of Jackie Collins but whatever, I think this one is a decent engaging rubbish read. One gets to read it quickly and the pages flipped so fluidly for some reason. It could be just to enjoy the antics of that moron-ish David, the OMG-isn' t-she-tired doing those things Claudia, the Gosh-she-can't-be that naive Linda, there are actually quite a number of characters whose character the author has nicely developed throughout the little story. Paul, oh Paul, trying to be cool or gentlemanly but lost it big in the end, what an embarrassment for sensitive artists.
Membaca buku ini, saya terfikir juga mengenai trash books yang kini banyak ditulis oleh anak-anak dara atau Che Kak atau makcik-makcik tukang menulis fiksyen di MAL. Mereka pun nak jadi kaya hasil menulis buku-buku style Jackie Collins ke? Sengaja nak cari cara beri peluang untuk pembaca terbayang-bayang, ter-bermain-di-otak-yang-keletihan adengan panas, perkataan melucah, acts of cheap or konon-konon-kaya erotica, watak-watak sexually degraded pitifuls, sampai kalau kena tempatnya boleh jerk off? Sesuai tak kalau watak-watak utama perempuan dan lelaki dalam buku-buku mereka diberi perangai dan ke-bingai-an sama macam David, Claudia, Linda, Conrad? A tragic destruction of identity.
Membaca buku ini, saya terfikir juga mengenai trash books yang kini banyak ditulis oleh anak-anak dara atau Che Kak atau makcik-makcik tukang menulis fiksyen di MAL. Mereka pun nak jadi kaya hasil menulis buku-buku style Jackie Collins ke? Sengaja nak cari cara beri peluang untuk pembaca terbayang-bayang, ter-bermain-di-otak-yang-keletihan adengan panas, perkataan melucah, acts of cheap or konon-konon-kaya erotica, watak-watak sexually degraded pitifuls, sampai kalau kena tempatnya boleh jerk off? Sesuai tak kalau watak-watak utama perempuan dan lelaki dalam buku-buku mereka diberi perangai dan ke-bingai-an sama macam David, Claudia, Linda, Conrad? A tragic destruction of identity.
May 12, 2017
This book frustrated me. Not only the story was over the top, the characters were obnoxious, described as humans with extreme natures. Claudia being an extreme bitch, David being an extreme asshole, and Linda being an extremely fragile woman. Even so, reading this was like having a guilty pleasure. I enjoy every second of it.
This is the 1st book Jackie wrote. It kinda shows by the way she wrote the conversations. I guess she got better in time. This book is recommended for readers who wants a piece of an easy reading.
This is the 1st book Jackie wrote. It kinda shows by the way she wrote the conversations. I guess she got better in time. This book is recommended for readers who wants a piece of an easy reading.
February 1, 2016
The novel that made Jackie Collins famous and introduce her style.
Good 'ol yarn about the famous cheating that hangs together well. There is even a moral at the end.
These stories are OK as long as you only read one now and then for light entertainment.
Good 'ol yarn about the famous cheating that hangs together well. There is even a moral at the end.
These stories are OK as long as you only read one now and then for light entertainment.
October 31, 2021
Absolute cracker
July 22, 2022
Badly written and not an interesting concept for me, but I enjoyed reading it, so even tho I gave it the same rating as I did Normal People, in a way it's better. Mahaluša literature
April 22, 2020
I raced through this, unable to put it down. Total escapism!
January 22, 2018
What can I say? Loved this kind of trash (sorry) novel back in the day.
January 19, 2019
Loved this book!was Jackie's first novel and it is a cracker. Lots of sizzling sex and great bed hopping drama!
June 10, 2023
With a title like that, I knew I was in for some drama! I read one of Jackie's books in high school I want to say and haven't picked any up since then. Recently a used book sale at the local library had her older books in pristine condition and I couldn't pass it up.
From some research, this book was her debut novel back in 1968(!) and I see why it was banned. The sex and language in this book were pretty raunchy even by today's standards and I'm sure shocked everyone back during its initial release. A novel about powerful men in film and media and the women who surround them and are willing to do anything to become stars. I do mean anything.
Given the Harvey Weinstein scandal, so many men in this novel reminded me of Harvey which is wild because the real men this novel is based on would have been old enough to be HW dad. The casting couch stories in Hollywood go way back.
Despite the sleaze factor, I was thoroughly entertained by the drama that surrounds the main character, David Cooper, and all the women that are in and out of his life and how he gets his comeuppance. I laughed out loud many times reading this and imagined that many celebrities live exactly like this book now.
Jackie Collins is an absolute legend and this book reminded me why. If you haven't seen the documentary on the author's life please watch ASAP. The author like her books really didn't give a damn and knew how to forge her own lane.
From some research, this book was her debut novel back in 1968(!) and I see why it was banned. The sex and language in this book were pretty raunchy even by today's standards and I'm sure shocked everyone back during its initial release. A novel about powerful men in film and media and the women who surround them and are willing to do anything to become stars. I do mean anything.
Given the Harvey Weinstein scandal, so many men in this novel reminded me of Harvey which is wild because the real men this novel is based on would have been old enough to be HW dad. The casting couch stories in Hollywood go way back.
Despite the sleaze factor, I was thoroughly entertained by the drama that surrounds the main character, David Cooper, and all the women that are in and out of his life and how he gets his comeuppance. I laughed out loud many times reading this and imagined that many celebrities live exactly like this book now.
Jackie Collins is an absolute legend and this book reminded me why. If you haven't seen the documentary on the author's life please watch ASAP. The author like her books really didn't give a damn and knew how to forge her own lane.
September 13, 2016
The late, Jackie Collins is easily overlooked as a literary contributor. The fabulous wealth and decadence of the characters who find their way into her blockbusters may seem an unlikely setting for a noteworthy legacy. The Bitch, The World is Full of Married Men, Hollywood Wives and Lady Boss all find their drama in the neurosis of the rich and the conflict for women at this sharpest end of competitive society. The seduction of luxury and power alone are given an erotic charge. Her heroines, nonetheless, have desires that she has devoted her life to crafting into erotic writing which ultimately captures a sexual encounter on a woman's terms. It would be a mistake to think this trite. Few writers, however great, have achieved this with any success. Collins is one of the few.
September 7, 2024
Yes, I guess this is what you would call a ‘trashy’ book but it’s very addictive and hard to put down so I would call it fantastic trash😂I mean this is my second Jackie Collins book & I’m obsessed, these are exactly the kind of books which would make great tv and I know some did end up becoming movies/tv shows..I can definitely understand why as the books kind of remind me of soap drama but I love it!😂also you would never think this was written in 1969? That’s crazy! She was way way way ahead of her time, what an amazing woman Jackie Collins was.
August 19, 2014
If you want to read a good love story full with intrigues, then this is what you're searching for. This book shows the weaknesses of people who don't appreciate what they have until they start to realize their mistakes in personal life. Those mistakes will push you in the deeper hole without exit.
September 28, 2015
I picked it up as Jackie Collins had recently died and this was one I'd not read back in my youth. It's wholly trashy but that's why women loved her books. A bit of escapism which is why I love to read. Sometimes trashy is just the ticket
August 11, 2022
The first few pages I thought this book wasn't gonna do it for me. And here I am three hours later, book's finished. Jackie Collins tells a funny and amusing story, perfectly describing THE AUDACITY that men have. I enjoyed it way more than I should !🫣
March 6, 2017
I started and finished this book the same day!
May 15, 2017
Quick easy read, classic Jackie Collins. A guilty pleasure book.
August 15, 2023
“‘What do you want? We’ll go shopping tomorrow.’
‘I want, let me see now. I want a Ferrari, two mink coats, lots of diamonds, a beautiful penthouse in New York, and a villa on the Riviera!’ She started to laugh. ‘Can you afford me?’”
I love Jackie Collins. To me, she is the queen of trash lit, and I mean that with the most love and respect for her. However, she's the queen of writing awful books, but they are so bad, they are so good. Ugh, I remember reading "Poor Little Bitch Girl" in high school and was like, "Forget Danielle Steel, she's the queen of trash lit!"
And please note that my five-star review is not telling you that this book is at all good or even worth buying. It's worth buying, though, if you love to read trash. Sometimes I do, and I don't think that there is anything wrong with that.
The World Is Full of Married Men is the debut novel of British author Jackie Collins, in 1968 and she published her last book in 2014 and died in 2015 sadly.
Jackie Collins' novel, "The World is Full of Married Men," caused quite a stir and controversy upon its release. Banned in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the scandal only served to bolster sales in the United Kingdom and the United States. Collins' publishers at the time, W. H. Allen & Co., requested that she remove the "four-letter words" from the book to avoid a ban in Australia. However, even with the changes, the book was still banned in Australia. In response, Collins quipped, "What's the matter? Don't you have married men there?" This quick-witted and unapologetic response is just one of the reasons why many fucking love Jackie Collins.
In "The World is Full of Married Men," Jackie Collins skillfully navigates the intricacies of relationships, presenting flawed yet sympathetic characters that challenge societal norms and expectations. Set in the vibrant backdrop of 1960s London, the novel explores themes of infidelity, the pursuit of excitement, and the quest for personal liberation.
At the center of the story is a cheating husband, a character who is typically vilified in literature. However, Collins manages to humanize him, allowing readers to understand his motivations and struggles. By delving into his inner thoughts and desires, she reveals the complexities of his actions, making him a more relatable and multi-dimensional character. This approach challenges the notion of a one-dimensional villain and encourages readers to question their own preconceived notions about infidelity.
Equally important are the wife and the mistress, two women who find themselves entangled in a web of deceit and desire. Collins portrays them as strong and independent individuals, each with their own aspirations and dreams. Through their perspectives, she explores the complexities of love, loyalty, and personal fulfillment. By giving voice to these women, Collins challenges the traditional portrayal of women as passive victims and instead presents them as active agents in their own lives.
One of the most commendable aspects of Collins' writing is her ability to challenge stereotypes and empower women, especially considering the time period in which the novel was published. In 1968, women's liberation was still a burgeoning movement, and societal expectations often confined women to traditional roles. However, Collins defies these limitations by presenting her female characters as complex and assertive individuals who refuse to be defined solely by their relationships with men. This empowerment is evident in their pursuit of personal liberation and their refusal to be mere accessories to the male characters.
Collins' quick wit and unapologetic storytelling style further enhance the novel's appeal. Her prose is sharp and engaging, capturing the essence of 1960s London and its vibrant atmosphere. Through her vivid descriptions and authentic dialogue, she brings the era to life, immersing readers in a world of glamour, passion, and intrigue.
"The World is Full of Married Men" is a provocative and controversial novel that challenges societal norms and expectations. Through flawed yet sympathetic characters, Jackie Collins explores the complexities of relationships and the empowerment of women. Her ability to challenge stereotypes and her unapologetic storytelling make her novels captivating, and her contribution to empowering women in literature is commendable, particularly in the context of the conservative 1960s.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews