Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Another 1925 gem, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was written, Anita Loos said, because she couldn’t get H.L. Mencken’s attention on a cross-country train trip because he was besotted by a blonde starlet-to-be.

One of the savviest, most pointed, and cosmopolitan takes on sex and gender from the period or from any period, really. It is, like the movie adaptation with Marilyn Monroe, pure fun and games at one level and trenchant commentary at another, but the book is that much smarter and more trenchant and therefore, much funnier.

Loos was one of the most successful screenwriters of her day, and she… show more.

This novel is hilarious. When I first read it, I was jealous that I hadn't written it—which is a silly feeling to have about a book that came out in the 1920s, I admit. It's a diary written by a blonde showgirl named Lorelei Lee, who uses her feminine wiles to get wealth from the gentlemen callers who want to "educate" her. Loralei isn't very smart—the diary is riddled with misspellings and confused assumptions—but she has a kind of innocence and practicality that keeps you rooting for her throughout. With her friend Dorothy, a… show more.

I’m drawn to cheeky independent-minded people and Lorelei, the gold-digging flapper (played by Marilyn Monroe in the film of the name) is exactly that. Her most famous saying is: ‘A kiss on the hand may make you feel very nice, but a diamond and sapphire bracelet lasts forever.’ She embarks on a tour of Europe, which she assesses according to her own values. She meets Sigmund Freud, who wants to analyse her, but he finds it impossible because she’s so healthy. The humour is infectious and unforgettable.