Essex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll - part 2

1367855 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:31:00 GMT

Having now finished Jonathan Durden's first novel I can report back on more echoes of the real world within its pages, which I have to admit were very easy to turn.

First of all, don't read on if you don't want to know some of the details of what happens in the book.

Only two real-world media characters appear under their own names in Essex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll as far as I can tell: Tom Toumazis of Disney, and Mirror Group Newspapers and Media Week's own David Emin. They appear fleetingly as fellow diners lunching at media haunt St Alban. Durden's good friend Emin is described rather unflatteringly as, "a short man resembling Morocco Mole from the 60s Secret Squirrel cartoon"...

More characters that might have echoes of real-life people work at lead character Mark Cohen's ad agency BC (shortened from Bond Craze, named after the founders Andrew Bond - "God" - and Patrick Craze - "the Devil"). They include S&M-loving head of global account management Julia Hardy-Roberts, who agency deputy chairman Cohen has a torrid affair with and who ultimately negotiates the acquisition of BC having moved to Interpublic Group. Then there's Cohen's glamorous PA Ellie, who dispenses favours out on the fire escape, and sexy, middle-aged receptionist Cherry.

I previously reported on a character called "Derek Peterson", which apparently was the in-house nickname of one of Durden's fellow founders of media agency PHD. Later in the book, it transpires that wide boy Peterson resides in a mansion called "Wattapenis Palace"... There is no sign in the book of characters called Julian Dorking or Neil Hunter, however.

I will leave any analysis of possible self-redemption in the novel to others, but for anyone interested in advertising and media, or black comedies, I would recommend it as a fun read - especially the description of a pitch for Primo bleach.

Durden's magnum opus echoes the real world

1367855 — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:47:00 GMT

One of the fun things about reading media legend Jonathan Durden's first novel is trying to work out which bits are fact and which bits are fiction.

The same applies to some of the characters in the book, which are often thinly veiled caricatures of people who may or may not exist in the real world.

Durden's magnum opus, Essex, Drugs & Rock'n'Roll, is out at the start of July. The lead character, Mark Cohen, is a 40-year-old advertising executive with "a lifestyle to die for and enough designer trappings to pass any Essex bling audit". Remind you of anyone?

I have only read the first few chapters so far, but I was particularly taken with another character, called "Derek Peterson", who is introduced to the reader early in the piece. I couldn't help thinking this guy might bear some resemblance to a certain well-known agency colleague of Jonathan's in his days at PHD, but then I read the description of "Derek":"If Danny DeVito had ever successfully mated with a Bee Gee, Derek would have been the result. Short, fat and bald, he wore white suits and high-neck shirts with vast, brightly coloured lapels. His belt buckle was custom-made and had 'Bite Me' inscribed on it in giant gold letters, while his underpants bore the legend 'Beware, long vehicle'."

Hmm, maybe not. Or maybe it's a private joke between the two of them. Either way, the book looks like a lot of fun and I will report back with any other interesting echoes of the real media world as I read on.

Search results matching tag 'PHD'

Essex, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll - part 2

Durden's magnum opus echoes the real world