LARGE PRINT EDITION. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Intimate Diary of a
Professional Lady (1925) is a novel by Anita Loos. Adapted from a
series of stories written for Harper's Bazaar, Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes was an astounding success for Loos, who had mired for over a
decade as a screenwriter in Hollywood and New York. An immediate
bestseller, the novel earned praise from leading writers and critics of
its time, and has been adapted several times for theater and film.
Recognized as a defining text of the Jazz Age, Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes is an absolute classic dubbed "the great American novel" by
Edith Wharton. Lorelei Lee is a young flapper living a life of luxury in
Manhattan. A mistress for prominent Chicago businessman Gus Eisman, who
pays handsomely, Lorelei has far surpassed her roots as a young woman
from Little Rock, Arkansas. Despite her talent as an actress, she finds
herself held as an object by wealthy, often married men, whom she uses
accordingly. Hers is a life of fine cuisine, opulent jewelry, and
tickets to the best shows in town. Soon, however, she grows tired of New
York, and sets off on a trip to Europe with her friend Dorothy Shaw.
Away from the men who had dragged them down, the two women explore
London, Paris, and Vienna, where they find new dopes to dupe with the
promise of love. A caricature of the Jazz Age woman, Lorelei Lee
reflects the libido and materialism of a generation caught between wars,
situated in a time of exponential cultural change, yet wary of
disaster's proximity. With a beautifully designed cover and
professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Anita Loos'
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Intimate Diary of a Professional Lady is
a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.
