Benny Jones

Something to read while the women of this world pass you by Benny Jones

'Something to read while the women of this world pass you by' tells the story of Sourires, a dejected younger brother from a family of high achievers. Sourires is attempting to crawl out of the shadow of his older brother Pau, who is a famous novelist and philosopher, by writing a book of his own. Sourires begins to write abstract short stories detailing the pain of the working class. He develops a reputation among the art crowd but ultimately finds them to be as empty and hopeless as the capitalists he has always despised. Sourires clearly sees the hollowness in many different life paths. Through his writings, relationships and attempts to become a great writer, Sourires highlights the frustration of a person trying to find meaning in a world which appears transparently plastic. The style of the book is gritty and hard-edge. The description of Sourires' daily life is somewhat akin to the style of Charles Bukowski and Hunter S. Thompson. As a literary device, substantial extracts from the book Sourires is attempting to write are included in the book. The extracts from Sourires' book are vivid and surreal and juxtapose sharply with the harsh reality of his everyday existence. The book is fast-paced and relatively short at just under 50 000 words. Sourires' erratic and colourful personality makes 'Something to read while the women of this world pass you by' a real page turner. This book can be seen as a critique of both the corporate world and the art community. Whilst Sourires is loathe to be a part of the capitalist system he becomes increasingly frustrated with the fickle, pretentious and esoteric nature of the art world. Ultimately, 'Something to read while the women of this world pass you by' is a book which deals with existential struggle and the search for meaning. Although suitable for a general adult reader, it is perceived the book will hold particular appeal to students, musicians, artists and writers.