THE WOMAN CHASER by Charles Willeford.
Willeford is impossible to pin down. He wrote all sorts of novels, always pulpy and economic, always good. The Woman Chaser follows Richard, a wildly successful used car salesman who, bored by his brilliance, embarks on a vanity film project in 50s LA.
Richard's movie dreams dissolve around him and he decides to take revenge on those who have wronged him.
Slightly creepy, always uncomfortable, it serves as an insight into the psyche of American males of the era, particularly in LA, where the American Dream was still a romantic possibility.
Not my favourite Willeford (see Cockfighter and Pick-Up) but very good reading as always.

The title has little relevance, the book moves along and is cleverly organized as a film treatment.
Williford is a unique talent, and an acquired taste.
If I find the movie based upon the book, I will certainly watch it.

As much as I enjoyed The Burnt Orange Heresy, I'm finding that a little Charles Willeford goes a long way. It's not because the books are becoming "dated". You have to expect a little of that. But after reading "The Pick up" and this, I find Willeford to be a bit of a "one trick pony". I found myself wanting to get this one over with. I guess my main complaint is that the characters did nothing for me. I didn't care.

I was expecting a mystery with a tough good looking private eye. It wasn't anything like that. Taking place in early sixties it a book about life and the frustrations we have when our life is too comfortable. I could not stop reading or thinking about this book. It is not the best book I read but it wasn't the worst. It was interesting

This is a very strange book in it's way.

The first half of the book Richard Hudson, a used-car salesman, has returned to his native L.A. to establish a franchise. He sets up the car lot, wanes philosophical about American greed (dividing the world into Feebs, feeble-minded rubes, and those who-understand-how-the world-works), sets up house at his childhood home with his prima-donna mother and her disgraced movie producer husband, and beds his sister. It reads a bit like American Psycho.

Then in act two Hudson decides to makes a movie. He writes the script, which is dark and bizarre, and directs the thing. The book keeps things flowing with most of the action focusing on selling the movie to the studio and gathering people to make the movie. Things don't go the way he expects and all hell breaks loose.

The last act is his running around doing insane things. I don't want to give away too much.

The book in someways mirrors the plot of the movie, but not too much as to be tacky.

The writing and pacing of the story is great, and while the main character isn't likable in the least, you can understand him. I suppose the theme of the book, or rather it's moral, is that we are the people who, carelessly, make the world a rotten place. We remember that girl who broke our hearts and callously disregard those hearts we broke. We're thieves that complain bitterly when robbed.

Not a polite read, but a fun one.