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Getting Rid Of Matthew [Cd]
For once, a novel that isn't about the heroine getting the guy. It's about getting rid of the guy, and in the process, finding herself.
Helen is nearly forty, and has, for far too long, had an affair with Matthew, a high-powered, much older, attractive, married man who was once, of course, her boss. After years of being disappointed by missed dates, out-of-the-way restaurants, broken promises, and hushed phone calls, at last Helen realizes it's time to dump Matthew and get on with her life.
This, of course, is the exact moment when Matthew decides to leave his wife for her. He appears on her doorstep and proceeds to move in. Helen then discovers how much she can't bear him. But she can't just throw him out-after all, she's been begging him to do exactly this for years. The only thing to do, she decides, is to convince his wife, Sophie, to take him back.
So after a "chance" meeting in the park, Helen befriends Sophie and hears all about her lying, cheating husband. But then, the unexpected happens-Helen really starts to like Sophie. And then there's the other small problem of Matthew's handsome, charming son...
Jane Fallon turns the conventional love story on its head in this irresistibly delicious, ironic debut.
Helen is nearly forty, and has, for far too long, had an affair with Matthew, a high-powered, much older, attractive, married man who was once, of course, her boss. After years of being disappointed by missed dates, out-of-the-way restaurants, broken promises, and hushed phone calls, at last Helen realizes it's time to dump Matthew and get on with her life.
This, of course, is the exact moment when Matthew decides to leave his wife for her. He appears on her doorstep and proceeds to move in. Helen then discovers how much she can't bear him. But she can't just throw him out-after all, she's been begging him to do exactly this for years. The only thing to do, she decides, is to convince his wife, Sophie, to take him back.
So after a "chance" meeting in the park, Helen befriends Sophie and hears all about her lying, cheating husband. But then, the unexpected happens-Helen really starts to like Sophie. And then there's the other small problem of Matthew's handsome, charming son...
Jane Fallon turns the conventional love story on its head in this irresistibly delicious, ironic debut.
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First published January 4, 2007
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About the author
Jane Fallon
23 books1,519 followersJane Fallon is an English producer and novelist, most famous for her work on popular series Teachers, 20 Things To Do Before You're 30, Eastenders and This Life. She is author of ten novels on the Sunday Times Bestseller List — Getting Rid of Matthew, Got You Back, Foursome, The Ugly Sister, Skeletons, Strictly Between Us, My Sweet Revenge, Faking Friends, Tell Me A Secret, and Queen Bee. In 2011, Foursome was nominated for the Melissa Nathan Award for Romantic Comedy Fiction, and in 2018, Faking Friends was nominated in the popular fiction category of the National Book Awards and in 2019 was long listed for the Comedy Women In Print prize.
Fallon has been in a relationship with popular comedian Ricky Gervais since 1982, after they met while studying together at the University College London. The couple has lived together since 1984 and are based in North London.
Fallon has been in a relationship with popular comedian Ricky Gervais since 1982, after they met while studying together at the University College London. The couple has lived together since 1984 and are based in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 754 reviews
December 29, 2021
Interesting debut novel from former UK TV Shows' writer of Eastenders and This Life. The premise being 'the other woman' having the cheating husband (Matthew) leave his family for her, just around the same time as she had finally got to a place after 4 years, when she realised she didn't want him! Her primary new goal is... getting rid of Matthew!
So the blurb and the start of the book really got my attention, but somewhere along the way the story lost me, I can't say for sure if it was the mainstream chick-lit style humour or plotting. Sometimes I have to genuinely ask if it's me, and in this case I think I'll need to reread this, because, as I said, I really enjoyed it at the start. 4 out of 12.
2007 read
So the blurb and the start of the book really got my attention, but somewhere along the way the story lost me, I can't say for sure if it was the mainstream chick-lit style humour or plotting. Sometimes I have to genuinely ask if it's me, and in this case I think I'll need to reread this, because, as I said, I really enjoyed it at the start. 4 out of 12.
2007 read
July 21, 2021
Full review to come.
-------------------------------------
Buddy reading this with Amanda and Monika.
I usually love Jane Fallon's work, but this time I am so disappointed, I would dnf it if it wasn't book club pick.
So many problematic things, this novel definitely did not age well.
Also, ableism... and so much hatred for women that was written by woman...
I don't know how so many ppl and my Goodreads friends rated this 5 or 4 stars...
-------------------------------------
Buddy reading this with Amanda and Monika.
I usually love Jane Fallon's work, but this time I am so disappointed, I would dnf it if it wasn't book club pick.
So many problematic things, this novel definitely did not age well.
Also, ableism... and so much hatred for women that was written by woman...
I don't know how so many ppl and my Goodreads friends rated this 5 or 4 stars...
May 6, 2013
Debitantski ženski roman... sjajan i azbavn... Kako se otarasiti ljubavnika... pri tome oženjenog... :)
September 11, 2007
This was a great rid, "chick-lit" with some substance. A 30-something woman who has spent four years of her life with a married man now ends up with him full-time--and finds it is so much less than she hoped for. Well written, funny, insightful. And set in England--always a plus. Why does British slang sound so much classier than US slang?
October 4, 2011
Helen had always imagined that by the time she turns forty she'd have her life sorted: she'd have the job in PR she wanted, a lovely apartment in London and a man to share it with. So there was plenty of time to travel the world and go out drinking with her best friend Rachel. Now Helen's thirty-nine and waking up to the fact that none of her expectations in life have come about: she lives in a basement flat; she's stuck in a second-rate PR firm as a lowly personal assistant; she's invented a boyfriend called Carlo to keep her parents happy; and she's wasted the last four years on a married man who'll never leave his wife and children - a man twenty years older than her who was also her boss, a director at the PR company.
She's begged Matthew for years to leave the marriage he's always insisted is empty, but when he suddenly turns up at her flat after Christmas telling her he's left his wife, Sophie, and brought all his stuff to move in with Helen, she realises it's not what she wants at all. In fact, now that Matthew is here in her small home, every day, crowding her, making it impossible for her to do all the things she loved doing in her time alone (time that had previously seemed so depressing), Helen ceases to love Matthew altogether. The affair and broken marriage eventually leaks out at work and Helen finally admits that she has to change her life, starting with her resignation. But when she tries to break up with him, he becomes pitiable and she lets him stay.
Getting rid of Matthew isn't going to be as easy as telling him it's over, though. Curious about his wife, Sophie, Helen inadvertently ends up befriending her and learning all about what Sophie's going through as the woman left behind. (The irony that Matthew had had an affair with Sophie while married to his first wife, Hannah, isn't lost on Sophie.) Pretending to be called Eleanor, Helen tries to encourage Sophie to take Matthew back, while her own life gets messier and messier - especially when she finds herself attracted to Matthew's adult son, who she'd never met before Sophie introduced them. But as Helen learns more about Matthew through Sophie, she also realises she likes Sophie a lot more than she expected to, leaving her with the question: does she want her new friend to take Matthew back, really, knowing that he lies and that he'll never change?
In the first few pages I was a little hesitant about this book, because the way Helen's life is described seems so depressing. I worried that the entire story would be a drag on my spirit. But quickly enough Fallon's smooth, understated, ironic sense of humour shows through, and you know you're in for a great story. I then read in the back that Fallon is a producer on the TV shows Teachers and This Life, two shows I used to watch when they were on and absolutely loved (Teachers especially - wish I could get hold of that on DVD!). So my respect for her went up even higher.
It's hard to get across how much I enjoyed this book, seeing as it is after all about a woman who steals another woman's husband - although, the underlying theme that is sometimes voiced but never tackled (because it never is in real life), is that Matthew's the one who cheats, who approaches women at work and propositions them. He makes no secret about the fact that he's married, and you could say that the women who take him up on it are in some way weak, insecure, flattered (Helen learns that she wasn't the first woman he approached at the company, but she was the only one who let herself be seduced by him).
But let's be clear: Helen is not painted as an innocent woman. She knows her affair is wrong, but while caught up in it the mind works differently: this, to me, felt absolutely real and true to human nature and the way our emotions and minds work. There's such clarity about Helen and Sophie, whose perspectives dominate the narrative (Matthew gets a few bits throughout, but it's largely told from the two women's perspectives). And when Helen "wakes up" to her life, the lies she lives and the damage she's done, she's even more real. How do you get rid of a boyfriend you're no longer interested in, but who seems like they'd fall apart if you tried to break it off? I've certainly experienced that before, and Helen's distaste for Matthew's personal habits once he lives with her, once it becomes "real" rather than an affair, is comical because it's so familiar. Fallon does a fine job of balancing sympathy with "just desserts": Helen does deserve it, after all.
The narrative is a perfect example of how to use past tense instead of present tense, to deliver the sense of immediacy, an "in the moment" feel of unknown futures, of open possibilities. I've read too many books (mostly YA) that use present tense but fail to convey any of that, and should have used past tense (The Hunger Games and Wither, for example). I greatly admired Fallon's skill in writing this, her debut novel. It reads like a more sophisticated, more mature, more ironic and sharp-witted Sophie Kinsella novel. But could we stop calling all books about women's relationships, "chicklit"? To my mind, there's a certain flippancy to the term "chicklit", a scornful derision, an understanding that it's not "high brow". I just think that the term is hugely dismissive, a kind of pulp fiction designed for vacuous women (not necessarily true, but that's the connotation it has).
Getting Rid of Matthew is an insightful, intelligent and astute examination of modern-day women in the big city, their hopes and aspirations, their fears and insecurities, the stereotypes and double-standards still out there (the scenes in Helen's office are almost unbelievable and must surely be peculiar to England). It is also the story of a woman who put too much stock in the illusion of a kind of life, and too much emphasis on having a man in her life. It's not an anti-man novel by any means, but you could read it as a cautionary tale: Helen fucked up her life and another woman's too (not to mention Helen-from-Accounts) because she was stupid and lonely and what-have-you. I chose to read it for entertainment, but also as a fantastic study of these two women's psychology. They're not representative of all women, but they feel so familiar.
I pretty much devoured this book and actually felt somewhat bereft when I finished, as I had really come to like Sophie and Helen and, like a good TV show, wanted to keep watching. I became hugely invested in this story, and was absorbed in watching Helen grow and mature and become a better person. It got to the point, when she meets Matthew's son, of being a bigger mess than Becky Bloomwood's average day, and I wanted so much for things to work out but couldn't for the life of me see how they could.
Recommended to anyone interested in reading a mature, original and ironic take on poorly-thought-out relationships, a drama story without the soap.
Final note: They are making a movie of this book and I'm not in the least bit surprised - if the screenplay and acting are good it'll be a great movie! (But hard to say, as Jennifer Aniston is in it and she's a mixed bag to say the least.)
She's begged Matthew for years to leave the marriage he's always insisted is empty, but when he suddenly turns up at her flat after Christmas telling her he's left his wife, Sophie, and brought all his stuff to move in with Helen, she realises it's not what she wants at all. In fact, now that Matthew is here in her small home, every day, crowding her, making it impossible for her to do all the things she loved doing in her time alone (time that had previously seemed so depressing), Helen ceases to love Matthew altogether. The affair and broken marriage eventually leaks out at work and Helen finally admits that she has to change her life, starting with her resignation. But when she tries to break up with him, he becomes pitiable and she lets him stay.
Getting rid of Matthew isn't going to be as easy as telling him it's over, though. Curious about his wife, Sophie, Helen inadvertently ends up befriending her and learning all about what Sophie's going through as the woman left behind. (The irony that Matthew had had an affair with Sophie while married to his first wife, Hannah, isn't lost on Sophie.) Pretending to be called Eleanor, Helen tries to encourage Sophie to take Matthew back, while her own life gets messier and messier - especially when she finds herself attracted to Matthew's adult son, who she'd never met before Sophie introduced them. But as Helen learns more about Matthew through Sophie, she also realises she likes Sophie a lot more than she expected to, leaving her with the question: does she want her new friend to take Matthew back, really, knowing that he lies and that he'll never change?
In the first few pages I was a little hesitant about this book, because the way Helen's life is described seems so depressing. I worried that the entire story would be a drag on my spirit. But quickly enough Fallon's smooth, understated, ironic sense of humour shows through, and you know you're in for a great story. I then read in the back that Fallon is a producer on the TV shows Teachers and This Life, two shows I used to watch when they were on and absolutely loved (Teachers especially - wish I could get hold of that on DVD!). So my respect for her went up even higher.
It's hard to get across how much I enjoyed this book, seeing as it is after all about a woman who steals another woman's husband - although, the underlying theme that is sometimes voiced but never tackled (because it never is in real life), is that Matthew's the one who cheats, who approaches women at work and propositions them. He makes no secret about the fact that he's married, and you could say that the women who take him up on it are in some way weak, insecure, flattered (Helen learns that she wasn't the first woman he approached at the company, but she was the only one who let herself be seduced by him).
But let's be clear: Helen is not painted as an innocent woman. She knows her affair is wrong, but while caught up in it the mind works differently: this, to me, felt absolutely real and true to human nature and the way our emotions and minds work. There's such clarity about Helen and Sophie, whose perspectives dominate the narrative (Matthew gets a few bits throughout, but it's largely told from the two women's perspectives). And when Helen "wakes up" to her life, the lies she lives and the damage she's done, she's even more real. How do you get rid of a boyfriend you're no longer interested in, but who seems like they'd fall apart if you tried to break it off? I've certainly experienced that before, and Helen's distaste for Matthew's personal habits once he lives with her, once it becomes "real" rather than an affair, is comical because it's so familiar. Fallon does a fine job of balancing sympathy with "just desserts": Helen does deserve it, after all.
The narrative is a perfect example of how to use past tense instead of present tense, to deliver the sense of immediacy, an "in the moment" feel of unknown futures, of open possibilities. I've read too many books (mostly YA) that use present tense but fail to convey any of that, and should have used past tense (The Hunger Games and Wither, for example). I greatly admired Fallon's skill in writing this, her debut novel. It reads like a more sophisticated, more mature, more ironic and sharp-witted Sophie Kinsella novel. But could we stop calling all books about women's relationships, "chicklit"? To my mind, there's a certain flippancy to the term "chicklit", a scornful derision, an understanding that it's not "high brow". I just think that the term is hugely dismissive, a kind of pulp fiction designed for vacuous women (not necessarily true, but that's the connotation it has).
Getting Rid of Matthew is an insightful, intelligent and astute examination of modern-day women in the big city, their hopes and aspirations, their fears and insecurities, the stereotypes and double-standards still out there (the scenes in Helen's office are almost unbelievable and must surely be peculiar to England). It is also the story of a woman who put too much stock in the illusion of a kind of life, and too much emphasis on having a man in her life. It's not an anti-man novel by any means, but you could read it as a cautionary tale: Helen fucked up her life and another woman's too (not to mention Helen-from-Accounts) because she was stupid and lonely and what-have-you. I chose to read it for entertainment, but also as a fantastic study of these two women's psychology. They're not representative of all women, but they feel so familiar.
I pretty much devoured this book and actually felt somewhat bereft when I finished, as I had really come to like Sophie and Helen and, like a good TV show, wanted to keep watching. I became hugely invested in this story, and was absorbed in watching Helen grow and mature and become a better person. It got to the point, when she meets Matthew's son, of being a bigger mess than Becky Bloomwood's average day, and I wanted so much for things to work out but couldn't for the life of me see how they could.
Recommended to anyone interested in reading a mature, original and ironic take on poorly-thought-out relationships, a drama story without the soap.
Final note: They are making a movie of this book and I'm not in the least bit surprised - if the screenplay and acting are good it'll be a great movie! (But hard to say, as Jennifer Aniston is in it and she's a mixed bag to say the least.)
August 21, 2014
I am in an emotional quandary entirely of my own making. I try to stride proudly around, claiming I'll read anything once, trying to eschew the all-too-common academic trend of looking down on popular culture or books that everyone is reading. So I make sure there are one or two recently popular books on my reading list at any one time. I'm open-minded, dammit!
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
April 23, 2009
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The story is based on an adulturous relationship, which is repugnant. But when this woman finally gets her boyfriend to leave his wife, she no longer wants him! I never enjoyed or cared for the main character and as the book developed it only got worse. The language is rough and reason enough to NEVER pick up this book.
December 7, 2018
3 stars.
Fallon managed to put together "life as it is" with a string of very unrealistic chain of events.
Though the book made me laugh most of the time, it dis not stroke any chords for me.
"Be careful what you wish for!"
Helen is single heading towards her 40-s birthday. She is hopelessly in love with a married man, who is also her boss. Helen's job is less than exciting, she is a PA, a glorified secretary with mundane monotonous tasks. Her flats is small and dump, her perspectives in life generally do not make her happy.
If only she could have Matthew... not an odd weekends and couple hours here and there, but all to herself, so that the could be a family...
One family dinner in Matthew's house with too much to drink, to many arguments to listen to and... Helen's wish is granted! Matthew packs his bags and moves in to Helen's apartment.
Time for eternal happiness!! Is it??...
Matthew is older, her has kids from his ex-wife and the divorce saga is not fun ride in the park. Add all those little things like snoring and colouring hair, patronising too much, and Matthew seems to be turning back from Prince to frog...
The book made me laugh and gasp: "Oh, this is sooooo true!!" there are a few good twists and really funny moments, but the main twists are very, very far stretched...
I was also disappointed in Helen's character. She felt very flats, very undeveloped.
Overall, enjoyable, though not great.
Fallon managed to put together "life as it is" with a string of very unrealistic chain of events.
Though the book made me laugh most of the time, it dis not stroke any chords for me.
"Be careful what you wish for!"
Helen is single heading towards her 40-s birthday. She is hopelessly in love with a married man, who is also her boss. Helen's job is less than exciting, she is a PA, a glorified secretary with mundane monotonous tasks. Her flats is small and dump, her perspectives in life generally do not make her happy.
If only she could have Matthew... not an odd weekends and couple hours here and there, but all to herself, so that the could be a family...
One family dinner in Matthew's house with too much to drink, to many arguments to listen to and... Helen's wish is granted! Matthew packs his bags and moves in to Helen's apartment.
Time for eternal happiness!! Is it??...
Matthew is older, her has kids from his ex-wife and the divorce saga is not fun ride in the park. Add all those little things like snoring and colouring hair, patronising too much, and Matthew seems to be turning back from Prince to frog...
The book made me laugh and gasp: "Oh, this is sooooo true!!" there are a few good twists and really funny moments, but the main twists are very, very far stretched...
I was also disappointed in Helen's character. She felt very flats, very undeveloped.
Overall, enjoyable, though not great.
September 7, 2007
Finally finished it. It's hilarious and written with the same british humour that I've been used to of late. A friend bought it in London and read it, said it reminded her of me....and passed it on.
A woman is having an affair with a married man. Just as she decides she's getting fed up with it/him (4 years into the affair), he shows up on her doorstep having left his family and now wants to be with her.
She's less-than-amused that this has happened and decides to do everything in her power to repel him and make him want to leave her. This includes buying incontinence pads and leaving them about the house, not shaving...anywhere...ever...you get the idea.
As the story goes on, she does more and more appalling things that include lying, being the subject of office gossip, befriending the ex-wife...etc. I found myself laughing out loud and sitting with my mouth wide open wondering how she was going to get out of this mess. Really liked it.
A woman is having an affair with a married man. Just as she decides she's getting fed up with it/him (4 years into the affair), he shows up on her doorstep having left his family and now wants to be with her.
She's less-than-amused that this has happened and decides to do everything in her power to repel him and make him want to leave her. This includes buying incontinence pads and leaving them about the house, not shaving...anywhere...ever...you get the idea.
As the story goes on, she does more and more appalling things that include lying, being the subject of office gossip, befriending the ex-wife...etc. I found myself laughing out loud and sitting with my mouth wide open wondering how she was going to get out of this mess. Really liked it.
February 6, 2019
Джейн Фалън забърква такива коктейли от случки , че свят да ти се извие.
Припомням си нейни книги, защото се чете лесно и бързо, освен това и интересно.
И колкото и на някой да му се струват неправдоподобни, всъщност мога да кажа от наблюденията си върху хората , че точно такива неща се случват в реалния живот.
Всеки може да те изненада в гръб, дори най-близките ти хора .
Припомням си нейни книги, защото се чете лесно и бързо, освен това и интересно.
И колкото и на някой да му се струват неправдоподобни, всъщност мога да кажа от наблюденията си върху хората , че точно такива неща се случват в реалния живот.
Всеки може да те изненада в гръб, дори най-близките ти хора .
June 5, 2014
Well, this book represented pretty much everything I hate about chick lit. Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of the genre at the best of times, so in order to be positive about any book written in it, it has to be really, really good. But this one was just really, really bad. I did finish it, as I had to read it for my book club, and although I wanted to abandon it pretty much right from the start, I persevered. That's about 7 hours of my reading life I am never going to get back.
For starters, the whole book was nothing more than a big cliche. At alternating moments I though 'ah, that's copied from Bridget Jones' or 'ah, that's copied from Marion Keyes' (I mean, Helen and Rachel? Could she not have come up with different names rather than those?). Of course, the protagonist is in PR (she couldn't have worked as an actuary or anything, could she?). Of course she lived in Camden. Of course she was neurotic and frankly the most self-centred pain in the backside imaginable. It is little wonder she had lost all of her friends. She was utterly obnoxious. She lies the whole way through to get her own way and when the denouement finally arrives, of course she (undeservedly, in my opinion) gets what she wants. Ho hum - selfish cow wins again. Great.
Secondly, the writing was pretty awful. On the odd occasion, the author suddenly appeared (saying things like "our Helen was feeling like this" or "But we knew that anyway, didn't we") You're either in the book or you're not. To have the authorial voice suddenly jump in was jarring and frankly, badly edited. If it was in order to try and help the reader gain a little more empathy with the main character, it didn't work.
Finally, it dragged on and on. I know that these books are written to give women something to 'escape' (why do they assume that in order to escape, all women want to read about vacuous, immature, 30-something PR people lying their way through life in order to get what they want?). As such, there is a length which indicates value for money. But there was so much of the story which was just pointless and page filling. It could easily have been done and dusted in half the number of pages and I might have clawed back a few additional precious hours of my life. One star is being generous.
For starters, the whole book was nothing more than a big cliche. At alternating moments I though 'ah, that's copied from Bridget Jones' or 'ah, that's copied from Marion Keyes' (I mean, Helen and Rachel? Could she not have come up with different names rather than those?). Of course, the protagonist is in PR (she couldn't have worked as an actuary or anything, could she?). Of course she lived in Camden. Of course she was neurotic and frankly the most self-centred pain in the backside imaginable. It is little wonder she had lost all of her friends. She was utterly obnoxious. She lies the whole way through to get her own way and when the denouement finally arrives, of course she (undeservedly, in my opinion) gets what she wants. Ho hum - selfish cow wins again. Great.
Secondly, the writing was pretty awful. On the odd occasion, the author suddenly appeared (saying things like "our Helen was feeling like this" or "But we knew that anyway, didn't we") You're either in the book or you're not. To have the authorial voice suddenly jump in was jarring and frankly, badly edited. If it was in order to try and help the reader gain a little more empathy with the main character, it didn't work.
Finally, it dragged on and on. I know that these books are written to give women something to 'escape' (why do they assume that in order to escape, all women want to read about vacuous, immature, 30-something PR people lying their way through life in order to get what they want?). As such, there is a length which indicates value for money. But there was so much of the story which was just pointless and page filling. It could easily have been done and dusted in half the number of pages and I might have clawed back a few additional precious hours of my life. One star is being generous.
March 2, 2012
What a terrible book!I struggled to like the characters and with no result.Helen is a bitch and a cow and all the annoying things,Matthew is a bastard and Sophie is boring,at least a bit likeble than the others.I can't understand how 11 years old or near this age girl will swear like a grown-up and the grown-ups have been using fuck,shit and fuck and shit every second sentence.I've red "Got you back" from Jane Fallon some time ago before this one and now I found that I'm going over nearly the same scenario which was very disappointing waste of time for me.At least "Got you back" was a bit fun and a bit of adventure while this one was ....well....shit!Once again,really terrible book,I can't believe how many people have liked it.
July 26, 2021
My co worker gave me this. I really really enjoyed the story! It read exactly like a trashy 2000s film and I was HERE for it. Loads of major laughs and shocks. Got me out of a reading slump and would recommend for a feel good funny pick me up
August 27, 2020
This book is witty, well-written, but also far-fetched and with 'telenovela' tendencies. Overall, a fun read.
July 9, 2018
This was a cute read about a cheating man, his wife and his girlfriend. The story is told from Helen the girlfriend’s point of view so despite being the one you want to hate, she’s actually pretty endearing. She and her boss have a relationship that’s gone on for 4 years. He spends 3 evenings a week at her house and his wife is none the wiser. Until one day, he tells his wife and leaves her to go live with Helen. He shows up on her doorstep with all his stuff and says he’s moving in. It doesn’t take long for Helen to realize maybe the fantasy of what it would be like is not realistic and reality is way less fun. She starts getting really annoyed with him and wishes he’d leave. So she stages an accidental run in with his wife (Sophie) so she can see what she’s like. However, Helen actually has an accident and falls and twists her ankle and Sophie is really sweet and helps her. The 2 women form a friendship, but Sophie doesn’t know who Helen is. Helen says her name is Elena and creates a fake life for herself. I really don’t like the relationship built on lies trope so that definitely knocked it down a star, but it’s done well and I really like the characters so it didn’t hinder my enjoyment too much.
Helen decides she’s going to do everything she can to get Matthew and Sophie back together. She abandons personal hygiene, is not friendly to his kids, asks a lot about Sophie— etc etc. Nothing is working until the end when she sets herself up with food poisoning to avoid his moms funeral and he finally realizes he doesn’t want to be with her.
Also throughout the story, Sophie introduces “Elena” to an attractive young man that needs some help with PR. That’s helens profession so she starts dating him and helping him, but then she realizes it’s Matthews son from his first marriage! The tangled web of lies continues because he thinks she’s Elena. She cuts off the relationship and avoids any time he comes in to the office and all family gatherings so he doesn’t make the connection.
In the end, Matthew convinced Sophie he’s changed and she agrees to take him back. Sophie tells Elena all the details and she knows he’s still lying since she’s on both sides but doesn’t know how to tell her.
It all blows up when Sophie brings Matthew to drinks with Elena. She’s understandably mad and confused and the friendship takes a hiatus. A little later they reconnect and we find out Matthew is with yet another woman!
The 2 women stay friends with the truth all out there and I love it!! Helen also talks about maybe restarting her relationship with the son who is actually closer to her age!
Cute, fun, but nothing earth shattering. Would recommend!
Helen decides she’s going to do everything she can to get Matthew and Sophie back together. She abandons personal hygiene, is not friendly to his kids, asks a lot about Sophie— etc etc. Nothing is working until the end when she sets herself up with food poisoning to avoid his moms funeral and he finally realizes he doesn’t want to be with her.
Also throughout the story, Sophie introduces “Elena” to an attractive young man that needs some help with PR. That’s helens profession so she starts dating him and helping him, but then she realizes it’s Matthews son from his first marriage! The tangled web of lies continues because he thinks she’s Elena. She cuts off the relationship and avoids any time he comes in to the office and all family gatherings so he doesn’t make the connection.
In the end, Matthew convinced Sophie he’s changed and she agrees to take him back. Sophie tells Elena all the details and she knows he’s still lying since she’s on both sides but doesn’t know how to tell her.
It all blows up when Sophie brings Matthew to drinks with Elena. She’s understandably mad and confused and the friendship takes a hiatus. A little later they reconnect and we find out Matthew is with yet another woman!
The 2 women stay friends with the truth all out there and I love it!! Helen also talks about maybe restarting her relationship with the son who is actually closer to her age!
Cute, fun, but nothing earth shattering. Would recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2014
This is the worst book I have ever read. In fact, it is scarcely a book. Pop-up characters, no depth, flimsy use of language, poor linguistic rhythm and a horribly predictable ending. I only finished it because I rate determination over pleasure. It appears Jane Fallon feels the same way
April 26, 2019
This had the potential to be a really entertaining book but it drug out way too long and Helen seemed to be a bigger idiot as days went by. The way she acted, I started hoping horrible things would happen to her. Waste of a storyline.
June 25, 2013
número 1 en mi lista de peores libros leídos...:(
October 24, 2019
I read this as a joke w a friend where we each read 20 pages, alternating, before reading the last 10 pages together. An interesting experiment which is gonna be repeated with the book Foursome and two more friends.
May 24, 2020
This didn't have anywhere near the number of twists and turns her other novels did so whilst it was funny in places and a good read I found it lacking. In fact most of the 'twists' were on the back of the book as part of the synopsis!
April 29, 2020
The perfect lockdown read to curl up with and find virtually impossible to put down! Fallon writes characters caught up in digging-themselves-out-of-deep-holes style drama SO well. I loved it and can't wait to read more... clearly I am very late to the party on that score, as this debut was written a few years ago!
August 6, 2021
Review to come.
June 29, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up
This was batshit. Helen was batshit. But nonetheless I found myself kind of liking her in a Bridget Jones esque way. You sort of have to ignore some of the more toxic / outdated references, as a nod to it being published in 2007. The premise is certainly novel, our main character being someone you certainly should hate - the mistress, trying to get rid of the man she won. I honestly wanted to just give her a good shake most of the time, but equally Matthew did sound very infuriating so I did get why she wanted to get rid. She sounded a truly terrible friend to Rachel, far to self involved, and that seemed a theme throughout. Her befriending Sophie was completely off the wall, but made for good drama.
overall I enjoyed the ending and it was an easy read, if you don't mind having a love hate relationship with the main character
This was batshit. Helen was batshit. But nonetheless I found myself kind of liking her in a Bridget Jones esque way. You sort of have to ignore some of the more toxic / outdated references, as a nod to it being published in 2007. The premise is certainly novel, our main character being someone you certainly should hate - the mistress, trying to get rid of the man she won. I honestly wanted to just give her a good shake most of the time, but equally Matthew did sound very infuriating so I did get why she wanted to get rid. She sounded a truly terrible friend to Rachel, far to self involved, and that seemed a theme throughout. Her befriending Sophie was completely off the wall, but made for good drama.
overall I enjoyed the ending and it was an easy read, if you don't mind having a love hate relationship with the main character
November 15, 2019
I have really enjoyed Jane Fallon's writing. I stumbled on one of her books a few months ago and was surprised by how much I liked her story and writing style. She makes me laugh with her quick wit. I think this is my 3rd or 4th book from this author and I plan on reading more from her.
Matthew is married to Sophie and they have 2 children. One would think it's a perfect marriage and to Sophie it is. Matthew however has been cheating on Sophie with Helen for 4 years. He finally decides to leave Sophie and live with Helen but now Helen isn't sure she wants him any more. Helen has to figure a way to get Matthew out of her house. She makes friends with Sophie (Sophie has no idea who Helen is) and the fun begins.
I found this book pretty good and even though I only rated it 3 stars I would still recommend it to anyone who wanted a new author to read. Very entertaining.
Matthew is married to Sophie and they have 2 children. One would think it's a perfect marriage and to Sophie it is. Matthew however has been cheating on Sophie with Helen for 4 years. He finally decides to leave Sophie and live with Helen but now Helen isn't sure she wants him any more. Helen has to figure a way to get Matthew out of her house. She makes friends with Sophie (Sophie has no idea who Helen is) and the fun begins.
I found this book pretty good and even though I only rated it 3 stars I would still recommend it to anyone who wanted a new author to read. Very entertaining.
January 13, 2021
Solidan chick-lit
August 11, 2015
*This book was supplied to me by Audiobook Reviewer. This review was originally published on ABR's website.*
It’s a rare humor book that’s laugh out loud funny, clever, and complex all at the same time. Humor is a difficult genre to write, especially since it’s easy to alienate readers who don’t share the same sense of humor as the writer, therefore unfortunately appealing to one type of reader instead of a variety of readers and often attracting heavy criticism. Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon is a joyously uncommon book that’s humor can be appreciated by a mass audience at the same time as it maintains the elusive ideal quality of any book that involves romance: unpredictability.
Fallon gets her characters into situations that seem impossible to get out of, stretching the limits of the reader’s expectations constantly. I found myself saying, “I have no idea how she’s going to get out of this one” and, “I can’t believe that just happened!” many times throughout the novel. Any book that truly takes me by surprise is appreciated by me, but a book that continuously keeps me on my toes with absolutely no clue as to how the characters’ situations will resolve – or whether they will at all – is refreshingly brilliant.
I have listened to this book at least two times and I know I’ll listen to it again and again. I have only ever listened to one other audiobook more than once, and I’ve listened to a large amount of audiobooks in my time, so that should tell you just how well written this book is. Aside from the comedy aspect, the clever turns of phrase used in place of cliches and dry description add so much color to the narrative, even in droughts of dialogue. Fallon dips into smaller characters’ lives as necessary and in details that matter, leaving out anything the reader might not find useful or interesting as well as anything that doesn’t apply to the current situation. In times that delving into a minor character’s past seems unnecessary, just wait – there’s always a reason, soon to follow, that it has been described. Fallon doesn’t waste words.
The voice talent, Rosalyn Landor, is the perfect pick for this hilarious read. Her line delivery is perfect to the point that I would never want to read a text version of the book; it would be severely lacking now that I’ve heard her dead on interpretation. Her voice is very nice to listen to, and she effectively uses a different timbre and accent for every character, making them easily distinguishable. Her accents also add to the character development and comedy throughout the book. She was a pleasure to listen to, and I’d certainly listen to any other audiobook with her as the voice talent.
I’m left almost in fear of reading another book by Fallon in case it isn’t as good as this one, but I don’t think I’ll be able to resist forever. Getting Rid of Matthew presents big audiobook shoes to fill, and I know I’ll be listening again and again throughout the years.
It’s a rare humor book that’s laugh out loud funny, clever, and complex all at the same time. Humor is a difficult genre to write, especially since it’s easy to alienate readers who don’t share the same sense of humor as the writer, therefore unfortunately appealing to one type of reader instead of a variety of readers and often attracting heavy criticism. Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon is a joyously uncommon book that’s humor can be appreciated by a mass audience at the same time as it maintains the elusive ideal quality of any book that involves romance: unpredictability.
Fallon gets her characters into situations that seem impossible to get out of, stretching the limits of the reader’s expectations constantly. I found myself saying, “I have no idea how she’s going to get out of this one” and, “I can’t believe that just happened!” many times throughout the novel. Any book that truly takes me by surprise is appreciated by me, but a book that continuously keeps me on my toes with absolutely no clue as to how the characters’ situations will resolve – or whether they will at all – is refreshingly brilliant.
I have listened to this book at least two times and I know I’ll listen to it again and again. I have only ever listened to one other audiobook more than once, and I’ve listened to a large amount of audiobooks in my time, so that should tell you just how well written this book is. Aside from the comedy aspect, the clever turns of phrase used in place of cliches and dry description add so much color to the narrative, even in droughts of dialogue. Fallon dips into smaller characters’ lives as necessary and in details that matter, leaving out anything the reader might not find useful or interesting as well as anything that doesn’t apply to the current situation. In times that delving into a minor character’s past seems unnecessary, just wait – there’s always a reason, soon to follow, that it has been described. Fallon doesn’t waste words.
The voice talent, Rosalyn Landor, is the perfect pick for this hilarious read. Her line delivery is perfect to the point that I would never want to read a text version of the book; it would be severely lacking now that I’ve heard her dead on interpretation. Her voice is very nice to listen to, and she effectively uses a different timbre and accent for every character, making them easily distinguishable. Her accents also add to the character development and comedy throughout the book. She was a pleasure to listen to, and I’d certainly listen to any other audiobook with her as the voice talent.
I’m left almost in fear of reading another book by Fallon in case it isn’t as good as this one, but I don’t think I’ll be able to resist forever. Getting Rid of Matthew presents big audiobook shoes to fill, and I know I’ll be listening again and again throughout the years.
February 1, 2015
I have rated this book on the level which I enjoyed it rather than the quality of the writing. The writing is actually pretty good - except for the odd glitch where absent characters suddenly speak in conversations - but unfortunately this type of novel isn't my thing.
I was given a copy for World Book Night and thought I would give it a go even though I don't usually read chic lit. It isn't badly written or anything, but I didn't like the characters, the storyline or the concept.. and I didn't find it funny. It just isn't my sense of humor but I know several people who think it was really good and amusing (presumably including the World Book Night Panel) so if you like this type of novel (funny chic lit) then its worth a go.
However, for my own part I must say sorry Jane but I think it may be a fundamental flaw in my personality that if I don't like the people involved then I don't really want them to have a happy ending. In real life good things don't always happen to good people (in my experience they often get dumped on from a great height instead) and bad people often get away with murder but I prefer my fiction to create a nicer world than that- a world where people are rewarded for their actions.
I definitely didn't like Helen (the mistress). I didn't like her boyfriend either (Matthew) and when I found out his ex-wife had also been his mistress, I went off her as well. The only person I had any time for was his son Leo and I definitely never ever want him to get together with someone who is a proven adulterer. There is an underlying theme of "Well, he has done it once before so of course he will cheat on you again" regarding the husband but no one seems to think the same of the women involved. The mistress gets an awful lot of stick for being the office cliche but it doesn't occur to anyone that she is just as likely to cheat for her own motives as the needy husband. She lies to his wife, her colleagues and even her family for over four years and then casually creates a web of intrigue to continue to cover up/try to fix her mistakes. She just isn't very good at it. There is some slight redemption at the end but I really don't think that's enough... not to get away with it all...surely?
Perhaps this isn't a flaw in the book at all, but more that I'm not really happy with a society where adultery is treated so lightly - pretty much all the characters have broken that commandment at some point and shrugged it off. Compare this to the poor bloke in "Gone Girl" who also cheated - what was his punishment in comparison? They all really do get away with the whole thing very lightly.
I was given a copy for World Book Night and thought I would give it a go even though I don't usually read chic lit. It isn't badly written or anything, but I didn't like the characters, the storyline or the concept.. and I didn't find it funny. It just isn't my sense of humor but I know several people who think it was really good and amusing (presumably including the World Book Night Panel) so if you like this type of novel (funny chic lit) then its worth a go.
However, for my own part I must say sorry Jane but I think it may be a fundamental flaw in my personality that if I don't like the people involved then I don't really want them to have a happy ending. In real life good things don't always happen to good people (in my experience they often get dumped on from a great height instead) and bad people often get away with murder but I prefer my fiction to create a nicer world than that- a world where people are rewarded for their actions.
I definitely didn't like Helen (the mistress). I didn't like her boyfriend either (Matthew) and when I found out his ex-wife had also been his mistress, I went off her as well. The only person I had any time for was his son Leo and I definitely never ever want him to get together with someone who is a proven adulterer. There is an underlying theme of "Well, he has done it once before so of course he will cheat on you again" regarding the husband but no one seems to think the same of the women involved. The mistress gets an awful lot of stick for being the office cliche but it doesn't occur to anyone that she is just as likely to cheat for her own motives as the needy husband. She lies to his wife, her colleagues and even her family for over four years and then casually creates a web of intrigue to continue to cover up/try to fix her mistakes. She just isn't very good at it. There is some slight redemption at the end but I really don't think that's enough... not to get away with it all...surely?
Perhaps this isn't a flaw in the book at all, but more that I'm not really happy with a society where adultery is treated so lightly - pretty much all the characters have broken that commandment at some point and shrugged it off. Compare this to the poor bloke in "Gone Girl" who also cheated - what was his punishment in comparison? They all really do get away with the whole thing very lightly.
December 9, 2008
So far, so good. This is a book about a woman who years for her lover's attention outside their scheduled evenings. Once he leaves his wife for her, she's shocked to realize that she doesn't actually want him, after all.
Determined to learn more about the wife that she took him from, Helen befriends Sophie and heads into dangerous territory, trying to balance her career (where her new live-in, married older boyfriend works), her relationship with Matthew's teenage daughters and her new friend, Sophie, who is sharing intimate details about her marriage with the woman who stole her husband.
The book gets more interesting as it goes along with new twists and turns with every bad decision Helen makes. At the end, she gets caught lying and is forced to look at what she really wants and the person she really is.
Will her friendship with Sophie survive? Will she be able to maintain her career and her relationship? The ending will surprise you.
Determined to learn more about the wife that she took him from, Helen befriends Sophie and heads into dangerous territory, trying to balance her career (where her new live-in, married older boyfriend works), her relationship with Matthew's teenage daughters and her new friend, Sophie, who is sharing intimate details about her marriage with the woman who stole her husband.
The book gets more interesting as it goes along with new twists and turns with every bad decision Helen makes. At the end, she gets caught lying and is forced to look at what she really wants and the person she really is.
Will her friendship with Sophie survive? Will she be able to maintain her career and her relationship? The ending will surprise you.
June 28, 2021
This book was first recommended to me by a fellow book-lover on Instagram, and with my boyfriend's name being Matthew, I found it hilarious, and of course I just HAD to read this book - (the fellow book-lover, however, apologized profusely when she found out my bf's name 🤣🤣). And while it was a little unpredictable, especially towards the end, and a tad gross... I wasn't disappointed. Such a fun book to read!
I'm not sure if I loved or hated Helen by the end, but with such brilliantly-written characters, a engagingly brilliant story, and a whole lot of fun, I couldn't put this read down! A must-read!
I'm not sure if I loved or hated Helen by the end, but with such brilliantly-written characters, a engagingly brilliant story, and a whole lot of fun, I couldn't put this read down! A must-read!
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April 15, 2020I remember my mom reading this book and liking it. Thought I would give it a go- hated it. Every time the main character would speak, I would get irritated and have to put the book down. You are supposed to like her, pity her, and want the best for her; but she is just a complete turd. But I began it, so I had to finish it. The ending didn't make you feel fulfilled either; not recommended. Will not be reading books about homewreckers.
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