The Woman Chaser Book

The Woman-Chaser has one of the most interesting plots ever for a crime thriller. Richard Hudson, a crooked, arrogant and vicious car salesman who is really good at his job panics at a meeting of aspiring young reps. He realizes that he is wasting his life in the 9 to 5 grind. It dawns on him that we are on this planet to be creative. So he writes a script with help from his step-father and decides to direct a film based on the script. But when his edited film fails to meet the six reel 90 minute length standard, the studio tries to interfere in the film's future. The crazed car salesman/movie director embarks on a rampage of destruction.

I think there is more to this book than a man trying to escape his mundane life. It is also about 20th century man's impulsive behavior without thinking about the consequences. It is about how a lot of our actions are driven by barely concealed madness. I found myself laughing and cheering on some of the actions of the main character. I could totally identify with him. Like Willeford himself said - "I had a hunch that madness was a predominant theme and a normal condition for Americans living in the second half of this century."

The book is quite similar to High Priest of California. The character Russell Haxby (also a car salesman) in that novel was quite similar to Richard Hudson. Both of them are street smart all American males who would go to any lengths including violence to get what they want. This is another captivating little novel from the cruelly underrated Charles Willeford.