Review: Paying For It by Chester Brown

[What A Wookie]

Paying For It is a graphic novel by Toronto cartoonist Chester Brown. Brown is critically acclaimed with varied work ranging from the bizarre (Ed the Happy Clown) to the historical (Louis Riel) He's also produced autobiographical work covering his awkward teen years, sex & pornography which was collected in the books The Playboy and I Never Liked You.

Paying for It is another memoir that recounts Brown's experiences as a sex work client from 1999-2010.
After his girlfriend at the time decides she wants to see other people and 3 years of celibacy, Chester realizes he's no longer interested in romantic relationships but doesn't want to give up sex. He decides explore the world of escorts.




His first attempts are familiar to those who lived in Toronto in the 90's; streetwalkers in the Church and Jarvis area, searching through the adult classifieds in Now & Eye weekly papers, calling from pay phones, etc. I don't think younger hobbyists know how good they have it now with all the digital media.




Chester's first encounter is at an incall and he recounts all his experiences until 2003 in varying degrees of details. Sometimes its about the sex, his feelings/reflections of the encounter or conversations with the SP. Brown doesn't shy away from showing himself as shallow about the women or guillable on the occasions he was taken advantage of. Another experience that's familiar to us all is the discovery of review boards and navigating all the terminology. There was a time when forums like HUBGFE didn't existing and we were all newbies at one point.




Chester doesn't hide his escort encounters from his friends and family and the book also deals with those around him. Sometimes its a debate on decriminalization versus regulation, romance & monogamy in modern culture or the stigma of being a john.




In addition to the main tale there are several appendices of a more factual nature touching on things from the story. Brown also offered his friends the chance to comment on their depiction in the book, though only fellow cartoonist Seth did so. Brown has spent a lot of time exploring all the aspects of sex work. The book is very much an expression of those ideas and not just a lurid retelling of his sexual encounters.


I really enjoyed Paying for It. It's an unapologetic and sometimes unflattering journey, but a lot of it feels familiar and relatable. While there are notes and themes that may resonate with many of us, the story Chester tells is uniquely his

 

[Guido]

 

[God]

Is he Charlie Brown's cousin?.

 

[Madman]

I think many of us could write novels or screenplays based on our second lives.

 

[What A Wookie]

There would be some interesting stories for sure. You'd need to be pretty brave to do it under your real name rather than a pseudonym.

 

[Boing]

Now I know where you've all been hiding.

 

[DannyDeVito]

This written by ErectTile?

 

[ERecTile]

Haha no Dannydevito I didn't write this. I can't draw! But, my first experience with a street walker was funny. I had just come back from a trip to Taiwan. Was horny as hell. I was in my early/mid 20s and still a virgin. I drove to the Church Jarvis area and drove around the block a few times before I had the nerve to park. Shit I was so nervous. This large black woman comes up and I'm like "sorry I want that blonde in the tight blue dress". So the blonde comes over and we talk a it about how this all works. God, I can still remember what she looks like and the smell of her perfume. She gave me the prices, and said that the deed gets done at a place of her choosing. I'd hoped she would come back to my house as my parents were still traveling. But she said no... that was the end of it. I was so nervous and scared, I thanked her and drove off. I think I went to 2 MPs that night! Ended the night still a virgin...oh well...that story is for another time.

 

[Faphard]

Haha no Dannydevito I didn't write this. I can't draw! But, my first experience with a street walker was funny. I had just come back from a trip to Taiwan. Was horny as hell. I was in my early/mid 20s and still a virgin. I drove to the Church Jarvis area and drove around the block a few times before I had the nerve to park. Shit I was so nervous. This large black woman comes up and I'm like "sorry I want that blonde in the tight blue dress". So the blonde comes over and we talk a it about how this all works. God, I can still remember what she looks like and the smell of her perfume. She gave me the prices, and said that the deed gets done at a place of her choosing. I'd hoped she would come back to my house as my parents were still traveling. But she said no... that was the end of it. I was so nervous and scared, I thanked her and drove off. I think I went to 2 MPs that night! Ended the night still a virgin...oh well...that story is for another time.

Big bummer, you were over 20 when you lost your virginity :unknw:

 

[ERecTile]

Big bummer, you were over 20 when you lost your virginity :unknw:

I was 26 so I was a late bloomer.