Chasing Men

by Edwina Currie

In an age when the fastest growing group in society is the single middle-aged, the divorced, the separated and the never-married, Edwina Currie's new novel tackles this group. Their swelling ranks include those terrified by singledom and those liberated by it; ageing Lotharios, happy bachelors of both sexes and every orientation, and smart women determined to be more than pretty adjuncts to selfish men. But they're not chasing the same outcomes as poor, man-hungry Bridget Jones. Not for them the home mortgage, marriage and children: they've been there, done that, and got the scar tissue to prove it.

Hetty Clarkson is an attractive but rather empty-headed woman who once worked in TV. She believed marriage was for life and her lifestyle was traditional. She comes home one day to find her philandering husband in bed with another woman. Her cosy, complacent world implodes: nothing remains. Driven beyond endurance, she divorces him, only to face the future.

Genres: Fiction

438 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2001

Reviews

[KOMET · Rating 3 out of 5]

"CHASING MEN" was a nice, pleasant novel -- one that can be comfortably read at leisure over the course of a late spring/summer day. The novel's main character is Hetty Clarkson, a middle-aged woman from Dorset who has moved to London (setting is late 1990s) upon finding her husband in bed with another woman. (A divorce soon follows.)

Over the course of a year and a number of months, the reader is witness to the varied transformations Hetty undergoes in her life in terms of relationships, friends, and the resumption of a career in TV after having faithfully fulfilled the role of housewife and mother for most of her adult life.

The following quote is illustrative of Hetty Clarkson's new, single life: "It came to Hetty that, if she were ever to share her living space again, it would not be in the all-enveloping manner she had accepted before. She would not cook every evening, for a start; they would eat out far more, or grab whatever was in the fridge. Salads and cold ham were far healthier than hotpot, anyhow. A pear for afters was better than homemade pastry, so lovingly created, so quickly scoffed. How willingly she had slaved, how seldom it had been appreciated."

The greatest value of this novel is in its presentation of what life can be like for any middle-aged person who finds him/herself suddenly adrift and making efforts to forge a satisfying autonomous existence in a buzzing metropolis.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time read of this author. It was a good light read but still did not capture my imagination even though I am in the same situation as the main character. There really was not much chasing of men so the title did not fit. I just could not like the main character that much. There was never much depth explored but again I guess that is the purpose of a light read.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic story. I was hooked before the first chapter had finished. I really enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend it 👍.