Getting Rid of Matthew

by Jane Fallon

Overview

A fabulous debut about a long-suffering nearly 40-something woman, Helen, and her affair with a family man named Matthew, who is not so surprisingly her boss. Just at the moment she decides it's time to dump him and get on with her life, she opens the front door to find Matthew on her doorstep. "I've done it!" he announces triumphantly. "I've left her. I'm yours!" he tells her, and proceeds to move in. She is not brave enough to throw him out. She then discovers how much she can't bear him, wherein ensues a zany plot that involves figuring out that the best way to get rid of Matthew is to befriend his wife and convince her to take him back. The only problem is that Helen discovers she really likes Sophie, Matthew's wife--a lot more than she likes Matthew. And on top of that, she has a rather dishy stepson. . . .

Light as a feather but about real issues, Getting Rid of Matthew is a deliciously funny novel that proves the peril of getting what you ask for.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401388805
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	08/07/2007
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	608 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jane Fallon is multi-award winning TV producer in England with hit shows including This Life and Teachers which have also been shown on BBC America. The US version of Teachers is currently airing on NBC. She lives in Central London. It doesn't hurt that she is the longtime girlfriend of Ricky Gervais, creator of the hit series The Office (and now a Hyperion author).

What People are Saying About This

Adele Parks

"This is better than reading your best friend's diary, it's like reading your worst enemy's diary; which is of course impossible to resist."--(Adele Parks, author of The Other Woman's Shoes)

Elizabeth Buchan

"A hugely satisfying novel of tables being turned. Smart and funny, it has an underlying tinge of melancholy which adds depth and resonance plus an understanding of just how complicated human relationships are."--(Elizabeth Buchan, author of Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman)

Cathy Kelly

"Forget chick-lit and hen-lit-Jane Fallon's first novel is sharp, funny, tell-it-like-it-is lit. Getting Rid of Matthew is an incredibly accomplished debut, with not a single misplaced word in an honest, hilarious, and yet searingly real portrayal of love and friendship. Turn off the TV and pull up the duvet: you won't be able to put it down until you've finished it."--(Cathy Kelly, author of Best of Friends)

Jamie Lee Curtis

"Immensely relatable and gently moving, it will leave you full and smiling like the best of novels do. A dazzling debut."--(Jamie Lee Curtis)

Editorial Reviews

Fallon delivers the goods in a believable and scathingly funny voice. She gives Helen and Sophie the human bumps and curves that make them so alive, you'll find yourself wishing you could ring them for lunch.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Fallon's conversational and deeply descriptive writing style -- and witty dialogue -- make the novel thoroughly readable. . . . For those longing for another lighthearted beach read as summer draws to a close, Getting Rid of Matthew is a solid option.

San Francisco Chronicle

The other woman attempts to make amends in this debut novel from Fallon, a U.K. television producer and partner of comedian Ricky Gervais. For four years, "nearly forty" Helen has been treading water watching those around her achieve, thrive and take risks. Helen prefers to be an observer and let things happen. Aimlessly she attaches herself to jobs and people that don't suit her in an effort to approximate a grown-up life. Helen's achievements are few: She holds a dead-end job as a personal assistant at a middling British PR firm, maintains one friendship, lives in a shabby apartment and has a very married boyfriend named Matthew. The novel centers around this illicit relationship. Matthew was Helen's boss when he seduced her. He correctly identified her vulnerability and quickly insinuated himself into the role of lover. Matthew is a cad who relishes his roles as PR chieftain, smug married father of two and seducer of younger women (it becomes clear that Helen is but one of Matthew's conquests). Nothing new up to this point, but thankfully the novel gets moving when Helen decides to dump Matthew. Here's the twist: Rather than gaining her freedom, Helen gets a hirsute roommate. When Helen gives Matthew the brush off, he falls apart and comes back groveling. It seems Matthew would rather heave over his family and start life anew with his young mistress than face life as a dumped lover stuck in suburban hell. To get rid of her new and unwelcome flatmate, Helen devises a plan to befriend his estranged wife, Sophie, and get the couple back together. While madly scheming to return Matthew to his family nest, Helen befriends Sophie and starts to take responsibility for her misdeeds.Refreshingly, this heroine doesn't waste time justifying her actions. Helen sees the error of her ways and sets about doing the right thing. Inevitably, she makes some comical missteps, but her heart remains in the right place. Fallon's debut has bright spots: The leading lady is memorable (one of the few singletons not obsessed with her baby-making status) and the dialogue pops. Pacing seems to be the main flaw, as the action sags in the middle and never regains momentum. Fallon's debut is sharp enough, but a languishing plot dulls the author's wit.

Kirkus Reviews