CHAM by Jonathan Trigell Published by Serpent‘s Tail. – Reviewed by John Harvey. IT is not hard to fathom why some have seen fit to describe Cham as doing for ski-bum culture what Alex Garland‘s The Beach did for Thailand‘s tourism industry.

As with Garland‘s tome, its appeal lies in its alternate take on how one‘s life might unfold, forgoing the mundane pen-pushing existence most people opt for upon completing their tertiary studies.

That is not to say that those who are more tantalised by what the university of life has to offer are devoid of intelligence or enthusiasm for discovering new seats of learning. Rather they prefer to live in environments in which they may dictate their own pace and terms of interaction. As a result, there tends to emerge a sub-culture of humans of similar mind, and recreational wont.

Trigell‘s protagonist Itchy is the kernel of such a personality. His days and nights are spent snowboarding, drinking and pursuing an endless string of female holidaymakers in the ski resort town of Chamonix with very little thought as to where this fickle, hedonistic semi-life might lead. While Itchy‘s friendship base is sound, the group only manages to overcome trial and tribulation with further excessive indulgence, magnificently bringing to light the banality of their escapist behaviour. Coupled with this sense of saturated limbo lurks a murderous rapist. Could the stranger be from within their own ranks?

An interesting aside is Itchy‘s preoccupation with the works of Byron and Shelley, and interspersed with the unraveling of the plot are references to the scribes‘ most famous works. This exemplifies the over-educated yet disillusioned traits personalities of this nature tend to foster.

Cham to all intents and purposes refines the post Generation X philosophies of an age-group in flux. While definitely a nagging strain of hopelessness throughout, there also does seem to be an innate longing for brighter days lurking just around the corner, however unfounded that may be. A coming of age tour de force for the overqualified, 30-plus market.