The Giro Playboy

Some might find it pretty formulaic that a middle class 'artsy' graduate with ennui goes off the rails and later finds himself 'through art yah'. But, lets face it: this has been the staple of many a cult novel. In fact this first-person narrative has already engendered a flurry of author comparisons with offbeat literary malcontents such Hunter S Thomson, Plath, J D Salinger and Rimbaud. Despite being the latest in a long line of existential navel-gazers (we are led to presume that The Giro Playboy is based on the author's own experiences), Michael Smith still manages to be surprisingly poignant and witty. This novel recounts the scattered meditations of a post-university wander as he drifts aimlessly through the hyper-realities of narcotics, unemployment and the alienation of inner city London. Aside from some truthful prose, this book has quirky illustrations penned by the author himself. So often did I find myself saying 'I know exactly how he feels' that I'd recommend this (somewhat slim) book to many a hapless arts graduate trying to navigate their life towards that most elusive of post-university ambitions: purpose.

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Wed, 17/06/2009 - 12:09 — Admin