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The Naked Husband
By all accounts Mark d'Arbanville has the 'perfect life': a successful writer, he is happily married with a teenage son. But when he falls in love with another woman, Mark's life unravels, exposing regret, estrangement and heartache. Yet as his marriage falls apart Mark still can't let go. Nor can his lover, Anna, who won't leave her husband.When Mark finally does make the break, the effect is catastrophic � his wife commits suicide. The circuit breaker comes when Mark finds his dead wife's journals, and in their pages discovers a man � himself � he can barely recognise. He is forced to take stock of who he is and how men and women live their lives.In response to The Bride Stripped Bare, The Naked Husband takes a candid look at the way men think, act and feel inside a relationship. Shocking, disturbing but impossible to put down, it's a novel for every woman who ever found the reality of sex and marriage so different to the fairytale, and wondered why.
273 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 21, 2019
Brilliant. One of my favourite books.
August 2, 2011
Probably one of the shittest books I have ever read!
Very very repetive and just a self wollowing cheating husband moaning about everything that was his own fault in the first place!
I couldn't even finish it!!
Very very repetive and just a self wollowing cheating husband moaning about everything that was his own fault in the first place!
I couldn't even finish it!!
Read
April 28, 2009I hated this book almost from the outset. It's about a man having an affair and he is sooooooooo self absorbed, selfish and totally melodramatic. I feel so bad for his son who is barely considered in his quest for "happiness" but less sympathy for his wife and lover who both seem to have more issues than doled out to your average nutter. He made me so mad and frustrated and I am still unsure why I listened to his boring ranting to the end of the book (thankfully a library one so can be returned).AND, if he leaves his next girlfriend at the altar I would like to personally hunt him down to give him what he deserves....
June 1, 2022
A man caught between the life he’s always wanted and a new future that he is suddenly drawn to; which in itself is relatable, the thoughts of what our lives would be if we have turned left instead of right. I found the main character to be frustrating, but I feel that thats the point of the book. He is frustrated with himself at an inability to make desicions that is ultimately destructive.
Overall, a bit bleak but an interesting look at what has lead us to where we are and how we think about our futures, particularly how we feel love and relationships should be. I'd like to read the second part to this to see how I like the narrative as a whole.
Overall, a bit bleak but an interesting look at what has lead us to where we are and how we think about our futures, particularly how we feel love and relationships should be. I'd like to read the second part to this to see how I like the narrative as a whole.
April 19, 2009
This book was a fantastic insight for me, very raw and real, and enlightening to understand that a man can feel such deep passion. Also, to understand the terrible waste of a life half lived. Ends a cliff hanger, so I was straight to the library to read the sequel, The Naked Heart
April 13, 2018
So beautifully honest, absolutely loved this book, could not put it down!! Had me balling my eyes out at 3 am, love is such a complicated matter! This man bares his soul and then some! 💕💕💕💕💕😪
February 5, 2014
First time I read this was in my early twenties and I was in no position to understand the complexities of relationships and even marriage that I have now read today. I didn't appreciate the raw, organic feelings Mark describes towards Anna, and even towards Siobhan and Susan when I was twenty.
At twenty-eight, the only thing I thought that was missing from the truths about his headspace was the incessant need to 'fuck' someone else instead of make love to them. It made the book almost seem more feminine than masculine and the masculinity in men is what draws my attention. I'm not always for romance and tender, loving, cafe. But if this Mark character in the book, indeed felt like this the entire time - perhaps there is more to men than I understand.
Looking forward to finally finishing the second novel.
At twenty-eight, the only thing I thought that was missing from the truths about his headspace was the incessant need to 'fuck' someone else instead of make love to them. It made the book almost seem more feminine than masculine and the masculinity in men is what draws my attention. I'm not always for romance and tender, loving, cafe. But if this Mark character in the book, indeed felt like this the entire time - perhaps there is more to men than I understand.
Looking forward to finally finishing the second novel.
July 6, 2011
I really enjoyed this frank account of a marriage fallng apart and a man's version of what happened for him (semi auto-biographical).
Sadly, I was dissapointed in the ending for two reasons 1. i didnt like the turn of events! 2. For a book that so well communicated the complexities of the hman condition and psyche, it suddenly became simplistiic in its exploration of circumstances, feelings and decison making.
Still, very much worth the read!
Sadly, I was dissapointed in the ending for two reasons 1. i didnt like the turn of events! 2. For a book that so well communicated the complexities of the hman condition and psyche, it suddenly became simplistiic in its exploration of circumstances, feelings and decison making.
Still, very much worth the read!
June 30, 2009
Brilliant It was strange reading this book which has been written by a man, and finding that everything he was describing in at least the 1st 15 chapters described my marriage to a T.
Infact the whole book was brilliant and i could not put it down.
The chapters were very short, a page long each chapter to a couple of paragraphs, but there were then 101 chapters.
Infact the whole book was brilliant and i could not put it down.
The chapters were very short, a page long each chapter to a couple of paragraphs, but there were then 101 chapters.
January 23, 2012
Didn't like this guy , but the women in his life acted as enablers for him to act the way he did. Not sure I want to read the next book from the girlfiriends POV. I found them not very likeable and just want to scream "get on with it".
October 18, 2010
The worst book I have ever read
June 16, 2011
Proof we can love 2 people at the same time. A story about a heart & mind loving one, while the soul & spirit craves another.
May 27, 2013
A really selfish man has an affair with a really manipulative woman causing the death of a selfish and manipulative spouse. Hatefully readable.
July 11, 2015
I liked this book even though I read it years ago it is still in my mind I will read again
August 30, 2023
The Naked Husband a raw candid and heart wrenching novel , for any woman who ever wondered what men really feel.
Based on the main character Mark d' Arbanville ( name of the author) , married and has a teenage son .
But when Mark falls in love with another woman, Mark's life unravels, exposing regret, estrangement and heartache.
Yet as his marriage falls apart , Mark still won't let go, nor can his lover Anna,who won't leave her husband.
When Mark finally does make the decision to leave his wife, the effect is catastrophic, his wife commits suicide 😢
Mark finds his dead wife journals and in the pages discovers himself he can barely recognise.
He is forced to take stock of who he is and how men and woman live their lives.
The Naked Husband takes a candid look at the way men think , act and feel inside a relationship.
Shocking disturbing but impossible to put down, it's a novel for every woman whoever found the reality of sex and marriage so different to the wondered and the fairytale.
This book is a fast read, it does scoop you up and takes you along for the ride.
I did find Mark a frustrating, selfish person, he is someone you want to shake, and put sense in him .
I do highly recommend this book , especially if you want something provoking and eye opening.
Based on the main character Mark d' Arbanville ( name of the author) , married and has a teenage son .
But when Mark falls in love with another woman, Mark's life unravels, exposing regret, estrangement and heartache.
Yet as his marriage falls apart , Mark still won't let go, nor can his lover Anna,who won't leave her husband.
When Mark finally does make the decision to leave his wife, the effect is catastrophic, his wife commits suicide 😢
Mark finds his dead wife journals and in the pages discovers himself he can barely recognise.
He is forced to take stock of who he is and how men and woman live their lives.
The Naked Husband takes a candid look at the way men think , act and feel inside a relationship.
Shocking disturbing but impossible to put down, it's a novel for every woman whoever found the reality of sex and marriage so different to the wondered and the fairytale.
This book is a fast read, it does scoop you up and takes you along for the ride.
I did find Mark a frustrating, selfish person, he is someone you want to shake, and put sense in him .
I do highly recommend this book , especially if you want something provoking and eye opening.
April 6, 2019
It was a different read for me, but it was interesting from a male's point of view about marriage and having an affair with a different woman and the impact it has on two different women. But it was hard for me to read it because maybe I haven't been married before or been cheated so I can't really feel for the charters, the writing style is a bit to hard for me to read ( but somehow I've managed to read the book). And there some parts of the book that really dragged on especially towards the end and how the author describes the emotions and the mentality on the characters is long.
So overall it wasn't a really bad read, it was lengthy and professionally written and it was an interesting read. Would I recommended it to other people? Difficult answer so answer depending on the audience. Would I read it again? Probably not but time would tell.
So overall it wasn't a really bad read, it was lengthy and professionally written and it was an interesting read. Would I recommended it to other people? Difficult answer so answer depending on the audience. Would I read it again? Probably not but time would tell.
May 19, 2025
I found this book easy to read and the short chapters encouraged my interest- the roles of having an affair seemed to be reversed here which just confirmed to me that when it comes to 'playing up' men are no different to women- some insightful revelations on the feeling man's perspective, otherwise this was a typical situation. I enjoyed the style of writing and keeping inner turmoil simple and easy to relate to;- well worth a read.
March 11, 2020
One word - SHIT! I fought through to the end of this repetitive crap and I so wish I never started. The whole book could have been summed up in 20 pages. The non use of talking marks shit me for no reason other than I was angry at the book for being so boring. Would recommend this book if you needed paper to start a fire. That is all.
October 16, 2023
OMG such a tedious man. Making women laugh is sexy, this guy is as funny as a used condom. His wife kills herself because she was married to such a bore. He should have done us all a favour and topped himself at the outset.
September 23, 2025
a refreshing male perspective of what some want in a woman. a very 21st-century point of view of the desire to have it all or at least a woman who is his equal. I enjoyed the emotional honesty and vulnerability often lacking in a male perspective , very attractive attributes!
December 11, 2018
I couldn't get pass the first quarter of the book. I found the protagonist self absorbed and difficult to relate to.
April 30, 2019
Rubbish. Waste of time with no ending.
June 13, 2021
Slow, boring and repetitious. I read in the other reviews that it ends with a cliffhanger. Really? What a damn cheek after enduring 273 pages of this twaddle.
March 6, 2023
Kinda enjoyed it and was looking forward to a stella ending. However I was disappointed…very frustrating.
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August 11, 2023I can't quite decide whether this is good or bad. It is good in some parts and bad in others. Anyway, I have finished it and it is on to another book.
September 12, 2024
Quick read.
November 2, 2024
What an extraordinarily tone deaf, badly written book. So bad it is hilarious. The extra star is for the odd insight.
October 10, 2016
Not a particularly well crafted book by the author, and in fact the book seemed to ramble and meander somewhat.
The main character was not very impressive, and came across as a very shallow and cynical person - he seemed to think that he could have an affair, and that he could use what he learnt from his lover to somehow revitalize his marriage. I also get the clear impression he believed that cheating was OK, and that 'everyone did it' - the fact that his 'soul-mate' was also married appeared immaterial to him.
An on-line interview the author gave indicates the book is semi-autobiographical (his real wife did commit suicide as a result of his affairs). If so (and if I was him) I wouldn't be admitting it was anything like him, as the general attitude of the character comes across as a somewhat selfish (almost narcasistic in fact) man only concerned with his wishes. He didn't even consider his actions were destroying his marriage, and only realized what a fine woman his wife was after she suicide. His new wife will want to keep him on a very short leash, else he may hook up again with his 'Anna', or find another one.
[PS Mark D'Arbanville is, of course, the pen name of Colin Bowles aka Colin Falconer]
The main character was not very impressive, and came across as a very shallow and cynical person - he seemed to think that he could have an affair, and that he could use what he learnt from his lover to somehow revitalize his marriage. I also get the clear impression he believed that cheating was OK, and that 'everyone did it' - the fact that his 'soul-mate' was also married appeared immaterial to him.
An on-line interview the author gave indicates the book is semi-autobiographical (his real wife did commit suicide as a result of his affairs). If so (and if I was him) I wouldn't be admitting it was anything like him, as the general attitude of the character comes across as a somewhat selfish (almost narcasistic in fact) man only concerned with his wishes. He didn't even consider his actions were destroying his marriage, and only realized what a fine woman his wife was after she suicide. His new wife will want to keep him on a very short leash, else he may hook up again with his 'Anna', or find another one.
[PS Mark D'Arbanville is, of course, the pen name of Colin Bowles aka Colin Falconer]
August 11, 2013
As I mentioned previously, I long anticipated reading this book, as I did 'Life of Pi'. Also like 'Life of Pi', now that I have read it, I am left questioning the author's motives.
It was a harrowing read, and worth the wait. I would say the writing was honest, except I don't know that it is. In the book, which is labelled fiction, the protagonist's wife suicides. The author's wife also committed suicide, two years before the book was published. In interview, he has said that this book is "fiction based on fact". I am left wondering, not why he wrote such a fiction (it reads like a purge), but why he chose to publish it. And why he has left it open-ended.
(I have theories on this, but they might be viewed as spoilers, so if you have read the book and would like to discuss it further, let me know).
Related reading: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/200...
It was a harrowing read, and worth the wait. I would say the writing was honest, except I don't know that it is. In the book, which is labelled fiction, the protagonist's wife suicides. The author's wife also committed suicide, two years before the book was published. In interview, he has said that this book is "fiction based on fact". I am left wondering, not why he wrote such a fiction (it reads like a purge), but why he chose to publish it. And why he has left it open-ended.
(I have theories on this, but they might be viewed as spoilers, so if you have read the book and would like to discuss it further, let me know).
Related reading: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/200...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews