Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Womanizer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Dare I say it...at first glimpse of this novel; I geared myself for some raunchy tales of a man's pursuit of lust and how he emotionally brutalized women in his quest for self-satisfaction. Well I admit it, I was wrong. In CONFESSIONS OF A WOMANIZER, I was wowed by Stephen E. Chatman's intense and often brutal assessment of his life as a womanizer. At one point he writes, "The curse of the womanizer is to have an attraction for what we can not have and a refusal to settle for whom we are with." He covers the full gamut of relationships from platonic to romantic and everything in between. He provides a lot of insight on what contributed to his life as a womanizer. I found myself amazed at his deep examination of self and secretly wondered if other men experienced relationships in the way he did. His account also provided me with a look at women and how we may contribute to a man's failure to make lasting commitments in relationships.

CONFESSIONS OF A WOMANIZER reads like a journal as Chatman eloquently writes of his exploits in subtle, non-demeaning ways. In one relationship he describes the anguish of just coming together, "We had all the pieces to make a great couple, but neither of us knew how to complete this puzzle." The title of this book does not invoke sympathy, but within the pages, I began to sympathize with the man and how lonely he was in his life as a womanizer. It appears as if he cries out for commitment at times and runs for the hills at others. This book will make you uncomfortable as he steps on toes with truths about relationships and roles both men and women play in them. His stories are sometimes funny, enlightening, thought-provoking and heart wrenching. This is an excellent book and one to be savored by both men and women.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I was shocked at how deep this book is. From the title it seems like a book full of erotic encounters. It isn't. What Confessions of a Womanizer is, Is true accounts of the relationships of Stephen Chatman a womanizer. The book reads like personal jounal entries. Full of deep thoughts and feelings about intimacy, love and relationships. This is true confessions and deep thoughts from the male psyche. I enjoyed this look into the mind and heart of a man.

Dawn
Mahogany, Albany, N.Y.

Forget Men Behaving Badly! Confessions of a Womanizer offers an insightful look into the male psyche with dark, thought provoking entries. Stephen Chatman floored me with this exquisite and intelligent book. As a viction of heartbreak, there are aspects that I know all too well -- however, Chatman still managed to surprise me with some rather profound thoughts and views on relationships. As I read the entries, I realized that this is more to do with general men's behavior than simple chronicles of a notorious philander. This book is an excellent gift to all women who've wondered why the men of their dreams haven't called them. It's an excellent source! Highly recommended...

Stephen Chatman is a person sharing his innermost self in an extremely honest, no-excuses fashion. If you read this collection, these memoirs, these reflections, with receptiveness, questions will be answered and curiosities will be eased. By the time you make it to page 25, you will be convinced that if you read further, you will be richly rewarded.

These brief accounts are arrayed from serious to humorous, platonic to romantic, restraint to recklessness, respectful to formerly forbidden, conflict to resolution and temporarily angry to eternally hopeful. He accomplishes this with a voice sprinkled with simile and metaphor resulting in pleasing poetic prose. "Confessions of a Womanizer" reaches across all boundaries to allow a diverse readership to feel kinship, discover insights and find inspiration.

This book will wrinkle the covers on the other side of your comfortable bed of truth. Therefore, it is not for the faint-hearted. Rather simply, it is for those who seek to understand who we are, both individually and as one.

In this, his second, full-length outing, Mr. Chatman displays incredible maturity of perception, perspective and pureness. Against all anticipation, I confess, I am deeply satisfied.

Confessions of a Womanizer is a compilation of journal entries by a "womanizer." The nameless writer takes you on his journey to sometimes unintentionally prey upon the hearts of unsuspecting women. I say sometimes because that's not always his intent.



"Crushed under the weight of my own ideals, I can say that I have truly lost my faith in love." An excerpt from the entry titled, "trapped on a sofa, house party, Sat 9pm." Just when he thinks he's found the "right" one, the tables are turned and karma comes and kicks him in his womanizing behind. The writer takes the reader through a gamut of emotions. He tells of almost every scenario imaginable and does it in an eloquent, straightforward manner. Stephen Chatman's writing flows and is easy to follow. Even though the emotions range from low down to deeply in love, when all is said and done, he goes back to his old ways and back into the beds of women. The impending question in my mind, "Will he ever revoke his player's card?"



Confessions of a Womanizer is an interesting read. I wasn't taken by it at first. I didn't fully understand the purpose of composing a book that merely contained what appeared to be journal entries. As I read more I began to appreciate his candor. I especially appreciated the fact that although he was reckless with the hearts of women, he was not when it came to practicing safe sex. He actually advocated it in many instances; however, there were a few times when the mood took over the mind.

Reviewed by Esther "Ess" Mays of Loose Leaves Book Review

I have been married to a womanizer for the past 10 years. Until I read this book, did I understand the root for his endless affairs and why my hope for happiness had been brutally destroyed again and again. Thanks to the author for sharing his thoughts. I am moving on.

This is a dangerous book. More powerful than any man's little black book. For the journal entries of the womanizer are where he pours his soul, the girls in the little black book merely get his sperm.

In 'Confessions of a Womanizer,' Chatman provides more than a glimpse into the world of the predatory, noncommittal male. Through Catman's wonderful prose, we learn the hidden emotional life of a womanizer ~ yes, contrary to outward appearance, they do have emotions.

Therein lies the danger.

Her friends have named him a womanizer, a cad, a user. But she knows differently. Underlying every woman's fantasy about this man that all her friends tell her is a cad, is this deep rooted, unwavering conviction that he is wounded, and that she, & she alone, is the one worthy of helping him heal his wounds & exploring the emotional world with her ~ and only her. The fortress hides a passionate man.

Chatman feeds every one of those fantasies with his rich, passionate journal entries. Even when he is at his most dispassionate in action, the writing belies a depth of feeling, code of honor, & pain ~ yes, even an awareness of 'her' pain.

Yet, he remains alone. Remains a womanizer.

There are chases & frustrations. Conquests & roads not taken. There are loud breakups, and the quiet moments when the romance disintegrates. He'll wax on rather poetically over the inner beauty of one girlfriend, then it's tirade regarding expecations placed upon him ~ a man who clearly stated the rules from the get-go. Next he laments the ability to approach a woman, his self-confidence shaken. He beckons, he repels. He says come hither, then disappears yon.

Like any real world womanizer, he dodges definition as he weaves his spell.

In truth, there is danger in this book.

It's seductive powers can make you pine for this alluring & elusive man ~ or the one just like him you are thinking of when you hear the word 'womanizer.' (Don't!)

If you buy this book looking for the answers to understand The Womanizer, you won't find them here. But that's only because he doesn't have them himself yet. And if the magic of his writing lies tied up with those tangled emotions of his, for the selfish reasons of a reader, I hope he never does find the answers.

(Sorry to doom you to a life of solitude, Stephen. But a girl's gotta read.)

(Condensed Review)

I read books quite often. In fact, I am also the president of a bookclub and love to support African American writers. In my entire reading experience, there has never been a book that I was unable to read until this book. I tried over and over again to read this book. I even went back and reread customer reviews. I would like to offer another perspective on this book. First this book is a waste of money. It has no content nor story. You are merely reading a journal, not a good one at that. I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone. This book was the book of the month for my bookclub. Not one member was able to get past page 15. In my opinion, this is one book in which I was TOTALLY disappointed.

I enjoyed reading this book because it truly "fessed up" to the thoughts of a lot of men! The author simply "laid it out there" for us to read, and examine. And to be honest, I found myself even empathizing! And I'm a woman!

Oh, my God what a horribly written book! I have no problem with the subject - it's the lack of organization of the journal entries (not in an 'artsy' way either)and the prose (a nauseating mix up of Shakespeare-ish and cheap romance novel-ish). I could not get past the fifth page. I even tried that reliable old trick of going to the end - that was even worse!