The Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Girl

Every profession has its clichés. Lawyers apparently object, doctors scribble illegibly, estate agents insist every cupboard is "spacious," and call girls... well, according to popular fiction, they exist solely to deliver dramatic monologues while reclining on expensive furniture. The Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Girl gleefully dismantles those stereotypes, replacing fantasy with an account that is witty, intelligent, surprisingly thoughtful and often laugh-out-loud funny.

Written under the pseudonym Belle de Jour, this bestselling memoir grew out of the hugely popular anonymous blog that had readers, journalists and amateur detectives obsessively trying to uncover the author’s true identity. What they found instead was a refreshingly candid, sharply observed and often deeply ironic portrait of modern London life, viewed from an angle few guidebooks have the courage—or legal department—to explore.

Far from being merely a catalogue of salacious encounters, the book is an affectionate satire on human behaviour. Clients, colleagues, relationships, money, class, loneliness, awkward conversations and everyday absurdities all come under Belle’s quietly devastating scrutiny. It turns out that people are gloriously peculiar whether they’re sitting in a boardroom or a luxury hotel suite, and much of the humour comes from recognising that everyone, regardless of profession, spends an alarming amount of time pretending to know what they’re doing.

Belle writes with intelligence and self-awareness, mixing dry wit with moments of genuine reflection. The result is a memoir that is as much about identity and modern relationships as it is about the unusual occupation that made it famous. Readers expecting little more than sensationalism often discover something far cleverer: a social commentary wrapped inside a remarkably entertaining diary.

Of course, the irony is delicious. A profession built on anonymity produced one of Britain’s most talked-about literary mysteries, with newspapers, academics and television producers all desperate to identify the woman behind the pseudonym. Meanwhile, the author quietly carried on writing, allowing the speculation to become part of the entertainment. Sometimes the greatest disguise isn’t a wig and sunglasses—it’s good writing.

This 2007 Phoenix edition is in As New condition, remaining exceptionally clean, bright and beautifully preserved throughout. A superb copy that appears to have been treated with rather more discretion than many of the stories contained within its pages.

Perfect for readers of memoir, contemporary social commentary, humour and bestselling non-fiction that refuses to fit neatly into a single category. Add it to your shelves today and discover the book that proved truth can be stranger, funnier and considerably more awkward than fiction. As always from Crappy Old Books—where we judge books by their pages rather than their professions, and where even the most unconventional memoirs receive a perfectly respectable place on the shelf.

Keep browsing: See more Biography books Other books by Belle de Jour