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.
