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Plotting for Beginners
"Charming, intelligent and side-splittingly funny. Anyone who is a wife or mother will find a 'yes' moment on every page."-Lynne Barrett-Lee
Women reach fifty and think they're on the verge of liberation and excitement, and their broken-down men just want to stay home and fart. Or in my case, go and live in a cabin in the Rockies and fart.
Sally Howe plans to spend her husband-free year trying her hand at becoming a wildly successful author. But she's beset by distractions-the first being a queue of local lotharios led by young Billy Bathgate, village postmaster with a tartan trouser habit and an obsession with drain rods.
Plotting for Beginners offers a wry evaluation of long-haul marriages, plus a lesson on how to hit menopause running and seize your freedom when the family has gone.
Sue Hepworth previously worked as a research psychologist, social researcher, full-time mother, and various combinations of these, and she has been a frequent contributor to The Times. She lives in the Peak District with her husband in an empty nest and is addicted to sweet peas and romantic comedies.
Jane Linfoot was brought up in North Yorkshire and on Teesside. She has trained and worked as an architect, spent seven years in rural France, had children, moved thousands of hay bales, and pruned a lot of vines. Linfoot now lives in a sheltered spot up a mountain road in the Peak District with her children and assorted animals. She enjoys slide shows and Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolets. She also plays around with houses and writes.
Women reach fifty and think they're on the verge of liberation and excitement, and their broken-down men just want to stay home and fart. Or in my case, go and live in a cabin in the Rockies and fart.
Sally Howe plans to spend her husband-free year trying her hand at becoming a wildly successful author. But she's beset by distractions-the first being a queue of local lotharios led by young Billy Bathgate, village postmaster with a tartan trouser habit and an obsession with drain rods.
Plotting for Beginners offers a wry evaluation of long-haul marriages, plus a lesson on how to hit menopause running and seize your freedom when the family has gone.
Sue Hepworth previously worked as a research psychologist, social researcher, full-time mother, and various combinations of these, and she has been a frequent contributor to The Times. She lives in the Peak District with her husband in an empty nest and is addicted to sweet peas and romantic comedies.
Jane Linfoot was brought up in North Yorkshire and on Teesside. She has trained and worked as an architect, spent seven years in rural France, had children, moved thousands of hay bales, and pruned a lot of vines. Linfoot now lives in a sheltered spot up a mountain road in the Peak District with her children and assorted animals. She enjoys slide shows and Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolets. She also plays around with houses and writes.
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2006
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63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 9, 2017
Finished my 16th book for 2017! Hip hip hurray!
Now, let's get some serious review on the way, shall we?
So Plotting for Beginners (PTB) is a story about Sally Howes, who is in her 50s, and currently enjoying her one-year freedom from marriage life after her husband, Gus decided to live by himself in the Rockies at the US. When I was buying this book, I think I might skip a thing or two in its synopsis at the back because I can't believe myself getting a book about some old woman and her love stories. It's so unlike me, as I pretty much prefer reading stories about people of the same age as me, honestly.
But still, I persevere and read the book diligently, as I had spend RM8 on the book (bought it at the Big Bad Wolf sale) right, so why should I waste my money by not reading it? Of course, at first it was a trying time for me because I'm overwhelmed by the story line itself and I kept thinking that it's absurd to have a 50s woman having so much admirers and chasers, despite being married to someone. This is not YA, nor romance or Chic Lit, so why oh why with all those men constantly wagging their tales at the presence of Sally.
Other than that, this book started freaking slow and dragging a bit. Only at the last 100 pages that finally we can see some spotlight in Sally alone, and not some other minor characters with their antics. Seriously, this book have so many side characters that at first I was confused whom is whom, and which is which. If you ask me, these characters should not be in the novel at all because they just distract readers from the main character, Sally Howes.
Besides, this book is not even remotely funny, or maybe I just don't get the humor. Heavy references to Thurber cartoons and other writers also makes me as a reader a bit left out as I'm not familiar with the things that Sally refers too. The story feels heavy with excessive reference to other published works, instead of keeping it steady with one own's words. Not sure how other readers feel about this, but I don't enjoy it at all.
Lastly, I feel I cannot relate at all with Sally Howes. Somehow, the character is a bit off and unreal to me. I can't feel the connection to her as she feels like really an imaginary person and made up. At times, she does not sounds or acts like 50s at all, more like someone who is her 30s or early 40s. That must be the reason why I dislike this novel a bit, due to improper of characterization.
Anyway, that's just about it. Another throwaway reading for those seeking light and easy story.
Now, let's get some serious review on the way, shall we?
So Plotting for Beginners (PTB) is a story about Sally Howes, who is in her 50s, and currently enjoying her one-year freedom from marriage life after her husband, Gus decided to live by himself in the Rockies at the US. When I was buying this book, I think I might skip a thing or two in its synopsis at the back because I can't believe myself getting a book about some old woman and her love stories. It's so unlike me, as I pretty much prefer reading stories about people of the same age as me, honestly.
But still, I persevere and read the book diligently, as I had spend RM8 on the book (bought it at the Big Bad Wolf sale) right, so why should I waste my money by not reading it? Of course, at first it was a trying time for me because I'm overwhelmed by the story line itself and I kept thinking that it's absurd to have a 50s woman having so much admirers and chasers, despite being married to someone. This is not YA, nor romance or Chic Lit, so why oh why with all those men constantly wagging their tales at the presence of Sally.
Other than that, this book started freaking slow and dragging a bit. Only at the last 100 pages that finally we can see some spotlight in Sally alone, and not some other minor characters with their antics. Seriously, this book have so many side characters that at first I was confused whom is whom, and which is which. If you ask me, these characters should not be in the novel at all because they just distract readers from the main character, Sally Howes.
Besides, this book is not even remotely funny, or maybe I just don't get the humor. Heavy references to Thurber cartoons and other writers also makes me as a reader a bit left out as I'm not familiar with the things that Sally refers too. The story feels heavy with excessive reference to other published works, instead of keeping it steady with one own's words. Not sure how other readers feel about this, but I don't enjoy it at all.
Lastly, I feel I cannot relate at all with Sally Howes. Somehow, the character is a bit off and unreal to me. I can't feel the connection to her as she feels like really an imaginary person and made up. At times, she does not sounds or acts like 50s at all, more like someone who is her 30s or early 40s. That must be the reason why I dislike this novel a bit, due to improper of characterization.
Anyway, that's just about it. Another throwaway reading for those seeking light and easy story.
January 10, 2024
Enjoyable read, written as a series of diary entries. Our protagonist is retired and attempting to make her name as a writer while her husband has gone off to America to live in the wilderness for a year. Plenty of interesting themes and nice to read a book where the central character is over fifty. Would have been four stars but there is a glaring grammatical error in the text which really shouldn’t be there!
October 21, 2015
Really enjoying this. Totally unchallenging, fun and laugh out loud. A great holiday read. Possibly should be prescribed to every women who's going though the menopause. There is life after the hot flushes have passed.
December 8, 2017
Not really a lot I can say about this book. It wasn’t really that funny, only one thing made me smile, nothing made me actually laugh out loud as the reviews said it would. I also felt like not a lot really happened, it built up but never went anywhere. Wouldn’t recommend or read again.
January 19, 2021
I loved this book. It was almost like it was written for me. About me. Being a woman of a similar age to Sally (main character), I know only too well about the struggles and symptoms of the Big M. I love how the book is written (day/month format). I’m not a writer, but I’m a creative person, so I appreciate the struggles and successes that come with being creative. I also understand her feelings about her husband, and about her being tempted by another man. I think this book is a MUST READ for women of a certain age (45+).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2022
I found this amusing at times and funny a few times. Sally, the main character was 2 dimensional, as were family members and friends. The members of her book group were mentioned so infrequently, and not in a memorable way, I had to search because I couldn’t remember who was who. I usually finish a light book like this one in a day or 2. It took 4 days for me to finish this book because it didn’t hold my interest.
I hope someone out there enjoyed the book more than I did.
I hope someone out there enjoyed the book more than I did.
January 25, 2019
Interesting use of diary, email and activities to support the narrative. Evocative scene setting and some laugh out loud moments.
June 28, 2022
Amusing book but not enough meat in it. Lovely chick lit for a summer afternoon
November 4, 2008
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6...
An undemanding read and apart from being very funny in places does not have much of a story.
It was more along the lines of Bridget Jones Diary, although nothing like as good in my opinion. It is the diary, plus a few emails of Sally Howe, fifty plus, menopausal and an aspiring writer. Her husband has taken a one year sabbatical from their thirty plus year marriage and gone to live in the wilderness.
Her plans for the year were to make a success of her writing by getting her work published. She does succeed in her aim, well sort of but not without some amusing distractions. She does not have the chance to be lonely, or even enjoy the peace and quiet. With her brother turning up to stay and a cast of others vying for her attentions, she has plenty of material to use for her writing.
Some of whom are very amusing characters; whose portrayals by Sally in her diary were the reason I kept reading. Worth reading if you do not expect more than a good laugh.
An undemanding read and apart from being very funny in places does not have much of a story.
It was more along the lines of Bridget Jones Diary, although nothing like as good in my opinion. It is the diary, plus a few emails of Sally Howe, fifty plus, menopausal and an aspiring writer. Her husband has taken a one year sabbatical from their thirty plus year marriage and gone to live in the wilderness.
Her plans for the year were to make a success of her writing by getting her work published. She does succeed in her aim, well sort of but not without some amusing distractions. She does not have the chance to be lonely, or even enjoy the peace and quiet. With her brother turning up to stay and a cast of others vying for her attentions, she has plenty of material to use for her writing.
Some of whom are very amusing characters; whose portrayals by Sally in her diary were the reason I kept reading. Worth reading if you do not expect more than a good laugh.
July 19, 2013
This is one of those books that is addictive - it's funny, its moving and is a subtle take on life which I could easily relate to. As Sally moves from the 'taking each other for granted and knowing each others faults' to the recognition that sometimes those very quirks are what drew us to a person in the first place, she was a character I could empathise with and like. And there were so many 'oh yes, I've done that' moments that made me smile, from the groper to the mad red setters (I'll leave you to discover more yourself!).
I started reading on a short haul flight and finished it on the beach - and now I want to read the next book in the series!
I started reading on a short haul flight and finished it on the beach - and now I want to read the next book in the series!
July 24, 2009
A fifty-ish man and his fifty-ish wife agree to go their separate ways for a year, he off to Thoreau it in Colorado and she to write her book.
Scary and here’s why: My fifty-ish husband bought this book for me, his fifty-ish wife, for Christmas. I’m still worrying a little about the deep psychological implications of this.
A pleasant little read, as entertaining as an evening sitcom.
Scary and here’s why: My fifty-ish husband bought this book for me, his fifty-ish wife, for Christmas. I’m still worrying a little about the deep psychological implications of this.
A pleasant little read, as entertaining as an evening sitcom.
September 27, 2011
I really loved this book. The authors have a great sense of humour, I liked the structure and it was an easy and heartwarming read. A great one for all of us who are struggling to find our true selves and to live out our dreams, while keeping our relationship together.
June 10, 2013
A good read. I enjoyed reading this book whilst on holiday and liked the fact it was set in Derbyshire and I was able to identify the locations in the book. Wittily written and told, with some great characters...I thoroughly recommend it.
August 16, 2009
excellent and entertaining... maybe on the light side, but she has the thoughts and feelings of a 50+ lady to a tee I have thouroughly enjoyed reading it and will look out for more by these authors
February 12, 2010
A sweet and funny story of a fifty year old aspiring writer whose husband leaves her for a year.
August 14, 2014
An easy read. Witty & funny. I am not near fifty but I found myself enjoying the story and even cheering for the lovable characters.
February 12, 2016
Loved this book! You always hear how it's going to be terrible to get older, if my fifties are going to be anything like the main character's, I'm going to have a blast. Age is but a number.
March 1, 2016
This is certainly a fun read about an aspiring writer and all her troubles and complications and dreadful critique group members.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews