Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

This delirious 1925 Jazz Age classic introduced readers to Lorelei Lee, the small-town girl from Little Rock, who has become one of the most timeless characters in American fiction. Outrageous and charming, this not-so-dumb blonde has been portrayed on stage and screen by Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe and has become the archetype of the footloose, good-hearted gold digger (not that she sees herself that way). Masquerading as her diaries, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes follows Lorelei as she entertains suitors across Europe before returning home to marry a millionaire. In this delightfully droll and witty book, Lorelei's glamorous pragmatism shines, as does Anita Loos's mastery of irony and dialect. A craze in its day and with ageless appeal, this new Liveright edition puts Lorelei back where she belongs: front and center.

Loos’s classic tale shows that questions of women and power—more relevant today than ever—can come in the most alluring of packages. This delirious 1925 Jazz Age classic introduced readers to Lorelei Lee, the small-town girl from Little Rock, who has become one of the most timeless characters in American fiction. Outrageous and charming, this not-so-dumb blonde has been portrayed on stage and screen by Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe and has become the archetype of the footloose, good-hearted gold digger (not that she sees herself that way). Masquerading as her diaries, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes follows Lorelei as she entertains suitors across Europe before returning home to marry a millionaire. In this delightfully droll and witty book, Lorelei’s glamorous pragmatism shines, as does Anita Loos’s mastery of irony and dialect. A craze in its day and with ageless appeal, this new Liveright edition puts Lorelei back where she belongs: front and center.

Anita Loos first published the diaries of Lorelei Lee in the flapper days of 1925. Just a little girl from Little Rock, the gold-digging blonde took the world by storm in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, retiring her diary after meeting a traveling American millionaire - but not for long, because, as she tells us in But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, it is bright ideas that keep the home fires burning, and prevent a divorce from taking all of the bloom off Romance.

Lorelei Lee is just a little girl from Little Rock who takes the world by storm to teach its gentlemen that "kissing your hand may make you feel very very good but a diamond and sapphire bracelet lasts forever." Anita Loos first published the diaries of the gold-digging blonde in 1925, forging a new archetype for the modern world.

How do the seasons affect your sex life? Is your lover more likely to get you pregnant than your husband? Are good dancers also good in bed? If you’ve ever wondered how scientists measure love—or whether men really prefer blondes—this smart, sexy book provides real answers to these and many other questions about our most baffling dating and mating behaviors. Based on the latest research in biology, evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science, Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? dares to explain the science behind sex—and opens a fascinating window on the intriguing phenomenon of love and attraction. Did you know… •When a couple first fall in love, their brains are indistinguishable from those of the clinically insane •You can tell a lot about a person’s sexual chemistry just by looking at his or her hands •Your genes influence whose body odors you prefer Viewed through the lens of science and instinct, your love life might be seen in a completely different way. This book provides both an in-depth exploration into our sexual psyches—and fresh advice for men and women who want to discover the secrets of successful relationships.

"I adored Anita, as did the entire fashion and literary world. She was four feet nine inches of lithe, slender, dramatic chic."—Carol Channing "This book celebrates a character as memorable as any Anita Loos created in her writing. She was an indomitable, wise-cracking prodigy who not only helped create Hollywood, but managed to survive it."—John Sayles "If we can't have the wonderful Anita Loos-smart, witty, literate and fun- writing today's Hollywood movies, at least we can get reacquainted with her and her work through this delightful book. Filled with previously unpublished material, it shows that while gentlemen may have preferred blondes, everyone else in town wisely preferred the irresistible Ms. Loos."—Kenneth Turan, film critic for the Los Angeles Times "This is a wonderful book about a talented, fascinating, and groundbreaking woman. Her life epitomizes a certain era in show business and describes a Hollywood in which few women were allowed to rise to the top. Anita Loos did and we were all the beneficiaries. I loved the book!"—Peter Duchin "Not only is it valuable to have these delightful Anita Loos pieces, but the biographical chapters are fascinating too."—Kevin Brownlow, author of David Lean: A Biography

This lively, opinionated, and playful look at the movies is a must-read for film buffs, and for anyone interested in gender, sexuality, and popular culture. One thing's for sure. After reading Flaming Classics you'll know you're definitely not in Kansas anymore.

It's 1948, and postwar Rome is giddy and chaotic. Poet Dante Sabat is attending yet another film industry soiree at Tullio Merlini's apartment off the Via del Corso. Disaffected and deeply self-absorbed, Dante finds Tullio's glamorous evenings ted...