Desperate Husbands

by Richard Glover

the new book from the author of In Bed with Jocasta and the Dag's Dictionary. Meet Richard, the original desperate husband, and his partner, the fabulous but formidable Jocasta. And say hello to their teenage offspring - the teutonic Batboy and his irrepressible younger brother. Desperate Husbands lifts the lid on so-called normal family life, and reveals its soulful, hilarious absurdity. Welcome to a world where household appliances conspire against their owners, fathers practise ballet in the hallway and dead insects spell out an SOS on the kitchen floor. By turns sweet-natured yet perverse, familiar yet wildly original, Desperate Husbands may be the funniest book you read this year. 'Desperate Husbands is desperately, wickedly funny. I devoured it in one sitting, greedily checking ahead to see that I still had pages left. Richard Glover has done the miraculous - he's made ordinary family life extraordinarily entertaining. this is a must-read for anybody who's ever had a wife or a husband or a mother or a stove or a child or a pulse. Go ahead and open a page at random - you'll laugh out loud.' - Augusten Burroughs, bestselling author of Running with Scissors

Genres: Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2005

About the author

Richard is a newsprint journalist and a Sydney radio broadcaster for the ABC.

Reviews

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing read. I found myself in fits of giggles throughout the book. I think my favourite piece was about the suburban drought. It was clever and funny.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desperate Husbands is Richard Glover’s 9th book. Using examples from his life with his fabulous but formidable partner, Jocasta and his teenage offspring, Batboy and The Space Cadet, Glover explores subjects as diverse as wilful appliances, sport, purchases from late-night TV ads, moustaches, cleaning-obsessed mothers, exchange students, coping while the spouse is away, foreign languages, lead poisoning, hiring a DVD, studying for the HSC, specialty magazines, procreative urge, tying knots, garment cleaning, inventing Olympic sports, the war on terror, the Easter Show, Repetitive Joke Syndrome, ego, PINs, overused phrases, too much choice, ageing, thongs, Home Renovation TV shows, warning labels, holiday cottages, the census, needing glasses, first and subsequent children, everyday heroism, seventies food, snoring, uses for men and Christmas shopping.
He gives us guides on: Men and housework; How to Write a Book; The Little Read Books; Water Conservation for Teenage Boys; The Dieter’s Code of Practice; The Real Road Rules; Ten Ways to Argue Like a Man; and The Blokes’ Supermarket;
If you do not spend most of this book snickering, chuckling or laughing out loud, there is something seriously wrong with you. I did have to stop reading once or twice as I could not see the print for the tears (of mirth) in my eyes. In the chapter on warnings I was laughing so much, I had to stop reading to visit the bathroom to save myself from embarrassing incontinence. So here’s my warning to add to those: don’t read this book with a full bladder!

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The review said it was desperately, wickedly funny. I wouldn’t go that far. Although the ‘buttered toast cookbook’ did actually have me giggle out loud. And the 70’s recipes made me smile with the reminiscence of my early culinary fortes. His writing style employs so much exaggeration it should not really be included in the nonfiction section. But I guess that is what makes the stories interesting. All up, a mildly amusing, quick and easy read.

[What to read next ....... · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring 😴 Could not finsh it 😔🤨

[Linde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book as I gave it away to my good friend as christmaspresent. I liked everything I read though. This is an easy book, I also recommend it for not native english conversators. Like me.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some excellent observations made by Richard Glover in this book. It is well worth reading.

[Any Length · Rating 5 out of 5]

very funny

[Forest Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wildly hilarious - fantastic for a some light amusement!

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring.

[Maura50 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Un po' assurdo, un po' esagerato. Lo smetto perchè è troppo brutto.

[Sarah Danille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great male perspective on normal/abnormal family life. Very funny