Review: A Foray Into Fiction for the Very Funny Ben Hatch
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 8, 2014
The P45 Diaries by Ben Hatch is a revised version of his novel The Lawnmower Celebrity, originally released some years ago. A P45 is an unemployment form in Britain I am told, and Jay, Hatch's protagonist, has plenty of experience with joblessness. 18 years old, having just lost his mother to cancer and utterly lacking in direction, Jay's current situation is a series of false starts and disappointments. He struggles to get some traction in his life, but just seems able to do so. One job after another is won and then soon lost, often as the result of Jay's humorous but ultimately self-destructive behavior. His perspective that everything seems so phony is very reminiscent of Holden Caulfield's in Catcher in the Rye, which Hatch makes no attempt to hide. Jay's gruff but loving father employs the "tough love" approach, but Jay rebels against it. His girlfriend Gemma nudges Jay more gently, but has to watch out for her own well-being at the same time, causing friction in their relationship. His other friends and family are also dealing with struggles of their own, and are unable to adequately give Jay the support he needs. Jay's one guiding star is that he wants to write for a living, but jumping on the moving train that is a writing career is predictably difficult. In the end, Jay needs to steel himself and take a big risk to actually start moving forward in his life.As other reviewers have undoubtedly remarked, The P45 Diaries alternates between hysterical and tearjerking. While Jay's character is endearing and his actions are undoubtedly funny, there are many times the reader just wants to reach into the pages and shake some sense into him. Anyone who has been trying to follow a dream in the face of internal struggles and a world seemingly arrayed against him or her will be able to relate to Jay.Ben Hatch hasn't really broken onto the American literary scene yet, which is a shame. If you are unfamiliar with him, you really should get to know his work. In addition to The P45 Diaries, he has also published two nonfiction works: Are We Nearly There Yet? and Road to Rouen, which chronicle travels with his young family throughout Britain and France, respectively. He also has a highly engaging Twitter account. Ben never fails to make me both laugh and think. He is definitely one to watch.