The Joneses

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29146, 5 March 1960, Page 3

The Joneses

The Joneses: How to Keep Up With Them. By Lee Gibb. Muller. 175 pp. Here is a book of considerable topical interest. Mr Gibb lays down the axiom “You know Jones. Everybody knows Jones. His house is bigger than your house His car is bigger than your car,” and so on. “The question is. How does Jones do it?"

Mr Gibb subjects this topic to unrelenting analysis, and his conclusion is that Jones has become a class by himself. On the other hand Robinson is the man who tries to keep up. He is the one who wears double-breasted suits when single-breasted are being worn; “he is just catching up with the Charleston when every one else ■ has gone over to the cha-cha-cha.” In answer to the question “Can Robinson catch up?" Mr Gibb suggests that he should adopt special measures He should, in fact, become a Learner-Jones. The training is hard, but this book is a faithful guide. Robinson’s first task is to make certain that he knows what things are Jones and what are not Jones. He has to be able to recognise a Jones when he sees one, and he has to know what sort of a Jones he is going to be himself. He has to know, foi instance, that rolltop desks are not Jones; but rolltop, garage doors are; fillet steak is Jones; but rump steak is Robinson. Jones is also the man with the motor mower. The treatment given by Mr Gibb is exhaustive. He concludes with such refinements for his graduate as the following. “As to shaving, Jones should do it by electricity. As to chips, Jones should call them French fried. As to the telephone, Jones should hold it in the crook of his shoulder. As to existentialism, he should have heard of it.’ It is pretty clear that Mr Gibb has an effective vein of mocking satire. His book is illustrated by Norman Mausbridge who is equally skilful in deflating the pretentions of worldly self-assur-ance.