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 Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
Funny & Devilish - I just loved it!, 05 May 2008
I loved this book!
The book is set in a diary format and explains her daily goings-on! It's funny, witty, intellectual, naughty and very honest. She is somebody that I think just about every female could relate to in some way. You end up warming to her straight away. I found the book to be very moreish (for want of a better word) and couldn't put the book down. I would definitley buy other books about her. I think she has a fantastic life! I am shocked that it received a few negative reviews but hey, we're all different I guess!
average, 14 Mar 2008
i thought the book would be really funny and interesting. but in the end i thought it was very repetitive and got a bit boring. as it seemed, it just described each client she met, what they wanted and how she lost her boyfriend.
Harmless Fun, 26 Feb 2008
Well i have just finished reading this book and i have to say that in places it made me laugh and im glad of that. It is harmless fun and i enjoyed reading it. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Don't waste your time, 19 Feb 2008
This book was the biggest waste of my time. I had to force myself to keep reading (it is readable enough, at least) in the hope that the various questions it thew up were answered. I was left disappointed. Why the French theme? Perhaps the author was just trying to glamorise something rather ugly... There is very little that's 'real' about this main character. There are a few windows where she has a chance to react like a human being... but no, it's a stud in a porn film reaction we get.
In fact I found her pretty abhorrent. There's not enough sex to make it a sexy novel, nor enough plot or substance to make it a regular novel, it's just a pointless, arrogant, often immensely irritating, stream of idiocy. The only thing I liked was when she mentions hating books with stickers saying "Now a major film" on the front. Considering this book, of course, now bears a similar sticker proclaiming its TV fame....
Curious Book, 19 Oct 2007
Unlike the first reviewer I don't have any issue with the depiction of sex in the book. People like all kinds of sex, and presumably pay for all kinds of sex. A sex worker is definitely going to be knowledgeable about this, and the author doesn't pull any punches over detail, which given that the title has the words 'intimate adventures' should be no surprise. It is a strange book/blog however and I do wonder whether it was actually written by a woman, or indeed a prostitute. These type of anonymous works sometimes do turn out to be by a 55 year old man who lives in Chipping Camden and doesn't get out a lot. Regardless of who it was written by it is entertaining enough, not really detailed enough to be a porn smash hit and not personal enough to be a real diary. Personally I thought the glimpses of 'real' life were more interesting than the sex stuff, which probably says more about me than I'd care to think about!
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
Funny & Devilish - I just loved it!, 05 May 2008
I loved this book!
The book is set in a diary format and explains her daily goings-on! It's funny, witty, intellectual, naughty and very honest. She is somebody that I think just about every female could relate to in some way. You end up warming to her straight away. I found the book to be very moreish (for want of a better word) and couldn't put the book down. I would definitley buy other books about her. I think she has a fantastic life! I am shocked that it received a few negative reviews but hey, we're all different I guess!
average, 14 Mar 2008
i thought the book would be really funny and interesting. but in the end i thought it was very repetitive and got a bit boring. as it seemed, it just described each client she met, what they wanted and how she lost her boyfriend.
Harmless Fun, 26 Feb 2008
Well i have just finished reading this book and i have to say that in places it made me laugh and im glad of that. It is harmless fun and i enjoyed reading it. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Don't waste your time, 19 Feb 2008
This book was the biggest waste of my time. I had to force myself to keep reading (it is readable enough, at least) in the hope that the various questions it thew up were answered. I was left disappointed. Why the French theme? Perhaps the author was just trying to glamorise something rather ugly... There is very little that's 'real' about this main character. There are a few windows where she has a chance to react like a human being... but no, it's a stud in a porn film reaction we get.
In fact I found her pretty abhorrent. There's not enough sex to make it a sexy novel, nor enough plot or substance to make it a regular novel, it's just a pointless, arrogant, often immensely irritating, stream of idiocy. The only thing I liked was when she mentions hating books with stickers saying "Now a major film" on the front. Considering this book, of course, now bears a similar sticker proclaiming its TV fame....
Curious Book, 19 Oct 2007
Unlike the first reviewer I don't have any issue with the depiction of sex in the book. People like all kinds of sex, and presumably pay for all kinds of sex. A sex worker is definitely going to be knowledgeable about this, and the author doesn't pull any punches over detail, which given that the title has the words 'intimate adventures' should be no surprise. It is a strange book/blog however and I do wonder whether it was actually written by a woman, or indeed a prostitute. These type of anonymous works sometimes do turn out to be by a 55 year old man who lives in Chipping Camden and doesn't get out a lot. Regardless of who it was written by it is entertaining enough, not really detailed enough to be a porn smash hit and not personal enough to be a real diary. Personally I thought the glimpses of 'real' life were more interesting than the sex stuff, which probably says more about me than I'd care to think about!
Great book, 13 Jul 2008
I really enjoyed Belle's book. I loved the first one so much that I decided to buy the second and it didn't disappoint. Belle is funny, witty and has a great sense of humour. I just love the way she writes and the way she thinks about things; it makes for a great book. Following her life is always intriguing and never really predictable. All in all, a great read.
Another awesome year in the life..., 20 Jun 2008
I think all the criticisms people have about this book can be split into three parts:
1) "But... she's not a hooker anymore!!!"
So? Belle remains the same warm, witty woman she was when we last saw her, only now she's in a different line of work. There's still sexual encounters aplenty, plus the "Dear Belle" sections where she gives invaluable (and hiarious) life advice.
2) "Ugh, how could she even THINK about going back to The Boy???"
Um, because she loves him? This is a real person writing this book remember, and real people do this kind of thing. What should she do, break up with him to make readers happy?
3) "It ends in a stupid place, nothing happens, blah blah blah..."
If I could just explain the concept of Real Time: events don't start on the first day of the new diary and then round themselves off to a neat conclusion one year later. This happens to Bridget Jones because she's not real, and doesn't have to live in Real Time.
As for my humble opinion, I thought we saw less of Belle-the-whore and more of Belle-the-girl, which can only be a good thing. I'd say I like her even more in this book- she's not a sexual temptress 24/7, she gets insecure just like the rest of us. There's no shortage of sex scenes (the fact that they're personal rather than professional just makes them even better) and more than a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. A brilliant book and I hope she'll write a third.
I think I picked the wrong book!, 22 Apr 2008
I read this book and haven't read the first in the series. It turns out from the reviews I've read that my choice was not a wise one! Belle gives up the game 50 pages in - and let's face it if you buy a book called "further adventures of a LONDON CALL GIRL" that's kinda what you're hoping for. She then goes on to document her relationship with a two-timing wally referred to as "The Boy" and we don't even get to enjoy her unceremoniously dump him at the end - they live happily ever after. This part I'm assuming because the book comes to a rather abrupt and meaningless ending, which left me wondering why I'd bothered to finish it. Looking at the reviews the first book sounds better, but be warned, this one will most likely be a disappointment.
A dull and dreary version of Bridget Jones, 26 Dec 2007
The title of this book is really misleading, because Belle is only a call girl for the first 50 pages of the book and then she `goes straight'. Unfortunately she also turns into a whining dull Bridget Jones type in the process as she obsesses about her boyfriend seeing other people behind her back.
Save yourself the bother. If you were thinking of buying this for titillation then save yourself the bother, there is hardly any sex in it, and she really isn't interesting enough as a character / protagonist to carry a whole book of moaning.
Woeful.
3 girls, 3 sexualities; which to choose?, 12 Dec 2007
I bought this book along with Abby Lee's "Girl with a One-Track Mind" and Niki Flynn's "Dances with Werewolves (Memoirs of a Spanking Model). They're three very different outlooks on sex and sexuality by three very different women.
Belle de Jour is extremely well-written and sexy, loaded with lurid, sexy, intimate glimpses into a world most of us will never know. Is it true? Who knows? Who cares? There are rumours all over the Net about who the "real" Belle de Jour is, but the bottom line is that her story is a compelling one. And hot!
Girl with One-Track Mind is different. It's the blog of a very liberated, very experimental girl in search of an indefinable sexual something that she's always wanted. Upbeat and chick-litty, but with the thoughtful introspection needed to be interesting.
Dances with Werewolves is the dark horse. The one that surprised me. Niki Flynn is a cult figure in the BDSM world and I've seen her described as "an explorer in the further reaches of psychosexual experience." Wow. How could I NOT read her life story? Well, I knew pretty much what to expect from the other two memoirs, but Ms Flynn's world was a real eye-opener. I read a lot of sexy books, but I'd never read anything like this before. It redefines conventional concepts of what "erotic" means. It made me examine my own deepest, darkest fantasies, the things I'd never tell anyone. Ms Flynn has no such inhibitions: she tells EVERYONE. It's a grippingly interesting account of what makes a kinky girl tick. She makes me want to explore my dark side... almost. I doubt if I actually will, but this book certainly stirred my fantasies.
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
Funny & Devilish - I just loved it!, 05 May 2008
I loved this book!
The book is set in a diary format and explains her daily goings-on! It's funny, witty, intellectual, naughty and very honest. She is somebody that I think just about every female could relate to in some way. You end up warming to her straight away. I found the book to be very moreish (for want of a better word) and couldn't put the book down. I would definitley buy other books about her. I think she has a fantastic life! I am shocked that it received a few negative reviews but hey, we're all different I guess!
average, 14 Mar 2008
i thought the book would be really funny and interesting. but in the end i thought it was very repetitive and got a bit boring. as it seemed, it just described each client she met, what they wanted and how she lost her boyfriend.
Harmless Fun, 26 Feb 2008
Well i have just finished reading this book and i have to say that in places it made me laugh and im glad of that. It is harmless fun and i enjoyed reading it. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Don't waste your time, 19 Feb 2008
This book was the biggest waste of my time. I had to force myself to keep reading (it is readable enough, at least) in the hope that the various questions it thew up were answered. I was left disappointed. Why the French theme? Perhaps the author was just trying to glamorise something rather ugly... There is very little that's 'real' about this main character. There are a few windows where she has a chance to react like a human being... but no, it's a stud in a porn film reaction we get.
In fact I found her pretty abhorrent. There's not enough sex to make it a sexy novel, nor enough plot or substance to make it a regular novel, it's just a pointless, arrogant, often immensely irritating, stream of idiocy. The only thing I liked was when she mentions hating books with stickers saying "Now a major film" on the front. Considering this book, of course, now bears a similar sticker proclaiming its TV fame....
Curious Book, 19 Oct 2007
Unlike the first reviewer I don't have any issue with the depiction of sex in the book. People like all kinds of sex, and presumably pay for all kinds of sex. A sex worker is definitely going to be knowledgeable about this, and the author doesn't pull any punches over detail, which given that the title has the words 'intimate adventures' should be no surprise. It is a strange book/blog however and I do wonder whether it was actually written by a woman, or indeed a prostitute. These type of anonymous works sometimes do turn out to be by a 55 year old man who lives in Chipping Camden and doesn't get out a lot. Regardless of who it was written by it is entertaining enough, not really detailed enough to be a porn smash hit and not personal enough to be a real diary. Personally I thought the glimpses of 'real' life were more interesting than the sex stuff, which probably says more about me than I'd care to think about!
Great book, 13 Jul 2008
I really enjoyed Belle's book. I loved the first one so much that I decided to buy the second and it didn't disappoint. Belle is funny, witty and has a great sense of humour. I just love the way she writes and the way she thinks about things; it makes for a great book. Following her life is always intriguing and never really predictable. All in all, a great read.
Another awesome year in the life..., 20 Jun 2008
I think all the criticisms people have about this book can be split into three parts:
1) "But... she's not a hooker anymore!!!"
So? Belle remains the same warm, witty woman she was when we last saw her, only now she's in a different line of work. There's still sexual encounters aplenty, plus the "Dear Belle" sections where she gives invaluable (and hiarious) life advice.
2) "Ugh, how could she even THINK about going back to The Boy???"
Um, because she loves him? This is a real person writing this book remember, and real people do this kind of thing. What should she do, break up with him to make readers happy?
3) "It ends in a stupid place, nothing happens, blah blah blah..."
If I could just explain the concept of Real Time: events don't start on the first day of the new diary and then round themselves off to a neat conclusion one year later. This happens to Bridget Jones because she's not real, and doesn't have to live in Real Time.
As for my humble opinion, I thought we saw less of Belle-the-whore and more of Belle-the-girl, which can only be a good thing. I'd say I like her even more in this book- she's not a sexual temptress 24/7, she gets insecure just like the rest of us. There's no shortage of sex scenes (the fact that they're personal rather than professional just makes them even better) and more than a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. A brilliant book and I hope she'll write a third.
I think I picked the wrong book!, 22 Apr 2008
I read this book and haven't read the first in the series. It turns out from the reviews I've read that my choice was not a wise one! Belle gives up the game 50 pages in - and let's face it if you buy a book called "further adventures of a LONDON CALL GIRL" that's kinda what you're hoping for. She then goes on to document her relationship with a two-timing wally referred to as "The Boy" and we don't even get to enjoy her unceremoniously dump him at the end - they live happily ever after. This part I'm assuming because the book comes to a rather abrupt and meaningless ending, which left me wondering why I'd bothered to finish it. Looking at the reviews the first book sounds better, but be warned, this one will most likely be a disappointment.
A dull and dreary version of Bridget Jones, 26 Dec 2007
The title of this book is really misleading, because Belle is only a call girl for the first 50 pages of the book and then she `goes straight'. Unfortunately she also turns into a whining dull Bridget Jones type in the process as she obsesses about her boyfriend seeing other people behind her back.
Save yourself the bother. If you were thinking of buying this for titillation then save yourself the bother, there is hardly any sex in it, and she really isn't interesting enough as a character / protagonist to carry a whole book of moaning.
Woeful.
3 girls, 3 sexualities; which to choose?, 12 Dec 2007
I bought this book along with Abby Lee's "Girl with a One-Track Mind" and Niki Flynn's "Dances with Werewolves (Memoirs of a Spanking Model). They're three very different outlooks on sex and sexuality by three very different women.
Belle de Jour is extremely well-written and sexy, loaded with lurid, sexy, intimate glimpses into a world most of us will never know. Is it true? Who knows? Who cares? There are rumours all over the Net about who the "real" Belle de Jour is, but the bottom line is that her story is a compelling one. And hot!
Girl with One-Track Mind is different. It's the blog of a very liberated, very experimental girl in search of an indefinable sexual something that she's always wanted. Upbeat and chick-litty, but with the thoughtful introspection needed to be interesting.
Dances with Werewolves is the dark horse. The one that surprised me. Niki Flynn is a cult figure in the BDSM world and I've seen her described as "an explorer in the further reaches of psychosexual experience." Wow. How could I NOT read her life story? Well, I knew pretty much what to expect from the other two memoirs, but Ms Flynn's world was a real eye-opener. I read a lot of sexy books, but I'd never read anything like this before. It redefines conventional concepts of what "erotic" means. It made me examine my own deepest, darkest fantasies, the things I'd never tell anyone. Ms Flynn has no such inhibitions: she tells EVERYONE. It's a grippingly interesting account of what makes a kinky girl tick. She makes me want to explore my dark side... almost. I doubt if I actually will, but this book certainly stirred my fantasies.
a basic read, 14 Jul 2008
No great literary work,as you may guess, but a very good light read.... ideal holiday book. Some interesting ideas were brought to the reader's attention.
However it did leave me feeling that this was an attempt to justify a lifestyle which even the writer herself felt could not be disclosed to any of her friends and relations,thereby drawing her more and more towards a secret life that not many of us would wish to experience.
A TRULY FANTASTIC READ!, 06 Jun 2008
THIS BOOK IS JUST BRILLIANT, A TRUE STORY ABOUT A PROSTITUTE WHOS HAPPY AT HER JOB. I READ IT IN 2 DAYS, I JUST COULDNT PUT IT DOWN, A MUST READ!
Easy, amusing read, 25 May 2008
Enjoyed the book very much with regards to the story itself, although it was such an easy and simply written text that I finished it in a matter of hours. Great for a train journey or if you have little time to spare but if you're looking for an in depth read that is going to occupy you for some time then you may be dissapointed.
Light weight and airy, 14 May 2008
Is it "real" I don't know - reserve judgement. It starts well with the impact of the change of life from student to prostitute, and then seems to run out of steam once the narrator is used to her new life. I don't think I came away feeling I had learned anything new but it was certainly an easy read and made no demands.
Good summer read, 26 Feb 2008
I took this book on holiday and i couldnt put it down. I read it in a matter of days it made me laugh and laugh.
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
Funny & Devilish - I just loved it!, 05 May 2008
I loved this book!
The book is set in a diary format and explains her daily goings-on! It's funny, witty, intellectual, naughty and very honest. She is somebody that I think just about every female could relate to in some way. You end up warming to her straight away. I found the book to be very moreish (for want of a better word) and couldn't put the book down. I would definitley buy other books about her. I think she has a fantastic life! I am shocked that it received a few negative reviews but hey, we're all different I guess!
average, 14 Mar 2008
i thought the book would be really funny and interesting. but in the end i thought it was very repetitive and got a bit boring. as it seemed, it just described each client she met, what they wanted and how she lost her boyfriend.
Harmless Fun, 26 Feb 2008
Well i have just finished reading this book and i have to say that in places it made me laugh and im glad of that. It is harmless fun and i enjoyed reading it. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Don't waste your time, 19 Feb 2008
This book was the biggest waste of my time. I had to force myself to keep reading (it is readable enough, at least) in the hope that the various questions it thew up were answered. I was left disappointed. Why the French theme? Perhaps the author was just trying to glamorise something rather ugly... There is very little that's 'real' about this main character. There are a few windows where she has a chance to react like a human being... but no, it's a stud in a porn film reaction we get.
In fact I found her pretty abhorrent. There's not enough sex to make it a sexy novel, nor enough plot or substance to make it a regular novel, it's just a pointless, arrogant, often immensely irritating, stream of idiocy. The only thing I liked was when she mentions hating books with stickers saying "Now a major film" on the front. Considering this book, of course, now bears a similar sticker proclaiming its TV fame....
Curious Book, 19 Oct 2007
Unlike the first reviewer I don't have any issue with the depiction of sex in the book. People like all kinds of sex, and presumably pay for all kinds of sex. A sex worker is definitely going to be knowledgeable about this, and the author doesn't pull any punches over detail, which given that the title has the words 'intimate adventures' should be no surprise. It is a strange book/blog however and I do wonder whether it was actually written by a woman, or indeed a prostitute. These type of anonymous works sometimes do turn out to be by a 55 year old man who lives in Chipping Camden and doesn't get out a lot. Regardless of who it was written by it is entertaining enough, not really detailed enough to be a porn smash hit and not personal enough to be a real diary. Personally I thought the glimpses of 'real' life were more interesting than the sex stuff, which probably says more about me than I'd care to think about!
Great book, 13 Jul 2008
I really enjoyed Belle's book. I loved the first one so much that I decided to buy the second and it didn't disappoint. Belle is funny, witty and has a great sense of humour. I just love the way she writes and the way she thinks about things; it makes for a great book. Following her life is always intriguing and never really predictable. All in all, a great read.
Another awesome year in the life..., 20 Jun 2008
I think all the criticisms people have about this book can be split into three parts:
1) "But... she's not a hooker anymore!!!"
So? Belle remains the same warm, witty woman she was when we last saw her, only now she's in a different line of work. There's still sexual encounters aplenty, plus the "Dear Belle" sections where she gives invaluable (and hiarious) life advice.
2) "Ugh, how could she even THINK about going back to The Boy???"
Um, because she loves him? This is a real person writing this book remember, and real people do this kind of thing. What should she do, break up with him to make readers happy?
3) "It ends in a stupid place, nothing happens, blah blah blah..."
If I could just explain the concept of Real Time: events don't start on the first day of the new diary and then round themselves off to a neat conclusion one year later. This happens to Bridget Jones because she's not real, and doesn't have to live in Real Time.
As for my humble opinion, I thought we saw less of Belle-the-whore and more of Belle-the-girl, which can only be a good thing. I'd say I like her even more in this book- she's not a sexual temptress 24/7, she gets insecure just like the rest of us. There's no shortage of sex scenes (the fact that they're personal rather than professional just makes them even better) and more than a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. A brilliant book and I hope she'll write a third.
I think I picked the wrong book!, 22 Apr 2008
I read this book and haven't read the first in the series. It turns out from the reviews I've read that my choice was not a wise one! Belle gives up the game 50 pages in - and let's face it if you buy a book called "further adventures of a LONDON CALL GIRL" that's kinda what you're hoping for. She then goes on to document her relationship with a two-timing wally referred to as "The Boy" and we don't even get to enjoy her unceremoniously dump him at the end - they live happily ever after. This part I'm assuming because the book comes to a rather abrupt and meaningless ending, which left me wondering why I'd bothered to finish it. Looking at the reviews the first book sounds better, but be warned, this one will most likely be a disappointment.
A dull and dreary version of Bridget Jones, 26 Dec 2007
The title of this book is really misleading, because Belle is only a call girl for the first 50 pages of the book and then she `goes straight'. Unfortunately she also turns into a whining dull Bridget Jones type in the process as she obsesses about her boyfriend seeing other people behind her back.
Save yourself the bother. If you were thinking of buying this for titillation then save yourself the bother, there is hardly any sex in it, and she really isn't interesting enough as a character / protagonist to carry a whole book of moaning.
Woeful.
3 girls, 3 sexualities; which to choose?, 12 Dec 2007
I bought this book along with Abby Lee's "Girl with a One-Track Mind" and Niki Flynn's "Dances with Werewolves (Memoirs of a Spanking Model). They're three very different outlooks on sex and sexuality by three very different women.
Belle de Jour is extremely well-written and sexy, loaded with lurid, sexy, intimate glimpses into a world most of us will never know. Is it true? Who knows? Who cares? There are rumours all over the Net about who the "real" Belle de Jour is, but the bottom line is that her story is a compelling one. And hot!
Girl with One-Track Mind is different. It's the blog of a very liberated, very experimental girl in search of an indefinable sexual something that she's always wanted. Upbeat and chick-litty, but with the thoughtful introspection needed to be interesting.
Dances with Werewolves is the dark horse. The one that surprised me. Niki Flynn is a cult figure in the BDSM world and I've seen her described as "an explorer in the further reaches of psychosexual experience." Wow. How could I NOT read her life story? Well, I knew pretty much what to expect from the other two memoirs, but Ms Flynn's world was a real eye-opener. I read a lot of sexy books, but I'd never read anything like this before. It redefines conventional concepts of what "erotic" means. It made me examine my own deepest, darkest fantasies, the things I'd never tell anyone. Ms Flynn has no such inhibitions: she tells EVERYONE. It's a grippingly interesting account of what makes a kinky girl tick. She makes me want to explore my dark side... almost. I doubt if I actually will, but this book certainly stirred my fantasies.
a basic read, 14 Jul 2008
No great literary work,as you may guess, but a very good light read.... ideal holiday book. Some interesting ideas were brought to the reader's attention.
However it did leave me feeling that this was an attempt to justify a lifestyle which even the writer herself felt could not be disclosed to any of her friends and relations,thereby drawing her more and more towards a secret life that not many of us would wish to experience.
A TRULY FANTASTIC READ!, 06 Jun 2008
THIS BOOK IS JUST BRILLIANT, A TRUE STORY ABOUT A PROSTITUTE WHOS HAPPY AT HER JOB. I READ IT IN 2 DAYS, I JUST COULDNT PUT IT DOWN, A MUST READ!
Easy, amusing read, 25 May 2008
Enjoyed the book very much with regards to the story itself, although it was such an easy and simply written text that I finished it in a matter of hours. Great for a train journey or if you have little time to spare but if you're looking for an in depth read that is going to occupy you for some time then you may be dissapointed.
Light weight and airy, 14 May 2008
Is it "real" I don't know - reserve judgement. It starts well with the impact of the change of life from student to prostitute, and then seems to run out of steam once the narrator is used to her new life. I don't think I came away feeling I had learned anything new but it was certainly an easy read and made no demands.
Good summer read, 26 Feb 2008
I took this book on holiday and i couldnt put it down. I read it in a matter of days it made me laugh and laugh.
An admirable story of courage, 07 Apr 2008
I have nothing but admiration for Celine's courage, tenacity and integrity. She has had the courage to tell her story and persevere through life-difficulties to which many of us would have succumbed. She suffered horribly at the hands of those who should have protected and loved her, but she never waivered in knowing what was good and right and in creating her own loving family.
I hope this book inspires others to shine the light in those dark corners and to have the courage to create a positive life of own's own.
The first edition of the book (not this edition, but one with a reddish cover) does contain some imperfections, but so what. Blame the editors and not the writer. The editors should have done a better job - editing their writers' work IS their job! But, apparently, this, the second edition of this book, has been better edited.
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
Funny & Devilish - I just loved it!, 05 May 2008
I loved this book!
The book is set in a diary format and explains her daily goings-on! It's funny, witty, intellectual, naughty and very honest. She is somebody that I think just about every female could relate to in some way. You end up warming to her straight away. I found the book to be very moreish (for want of a better word) and couldn't put the book down. I would definitley buy other books about her. I think she has a fantastic life! I am shocked that it received a few negative reviews but hey, we're all different I guess!
average, 14 Mar 2008
i thought the book would be really funny and interesting. but in the end i thought it was very repetitive and got a bit boring. as it seemed, it just described each client she met, what they wanted and how she lost her boyfriend.
Harmless Fun, 26 Feb 2008
Well i have just finished reading this book and i have to say that in places it made me laugh and im glad of that. It is harmless fun and i enjoyed reading it. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Don't waste your time, 19 Feb 2008
This book was the biggest waste of my time. I had to force myself to keep reading (it is readable enough, at least) in the hope that the various questions it thew up were answered. I was left disappointed. Why the French theme? Perhaps the author was just trying to glamorise something rather ugly... There is very little that's 'real' about this main character. There are a few windows where she has a chance to react like a human being... but no, it's a stud in a porn film reaction we get.
In fact I found her pretty abhorrent. There's not enough sex to make it a sexy novel, nor enough plot or substance to make it a regular novel, it's just a pointless, arrogant, often immensely irritating, stream of idiocy. The only thing I liked was when she mentions hating books with stickers saying "Now a major film" on the front. Considering this book, of course, now bears a similar sticker proclaiming its TV fame....
Curious Book, 19 Oct 2007
Unlike the first reviewer I don't have any issue with the depiction of sex in the book. People like all kinds of sex, and presumably pay for all kinds of sex. A sex worker is definitely going to be knowledgeable about this, and the author doesn't pull any punches over detail, which given that the title has the words 'intimate adventures' should be no surprise. It is a strange book/blog however and I do wonder whether it was actually written by a woman, or indeed a prostitute. These type of anonymous works sometimes do turn out to be by a 55 year old man who lives in Chipping Camden and doesn't get out a lot. Regardless of who it was written by it is entertaining enough, not really detailed enough to be a porn smash hit and not personal enough to be a real diary. Personally I thought the glimpses of 'real' life were more interesting than the sex stuff, which probably says more about me than I'd care to think about!
Great book, 13 Jul 2008
I really enjoyed Belle's book. I loved the first one so much that I decided to buy the second and it didn't disappoint. Belle is funny, witty and has a great sense of humour. I just love the way she writes and the way she thinks about things; it makes for a great book. Following her life is always intriguing and never really predictable. All in all, a great read.
Another awesome year in the life..., 20 Jun 2008
I think all the criticisms people have about this book can be split into three parts:
1) "But... she's not a hooker anymore!!!"
So? Belle remains the same warm, witty woman she was when we last saw her, only now she's in a different line of work. There's still sexual encounters aplenty, plus the "Dear Belle" sections where she gives invaluable (and hiarious) life advice.
2) "Ugh, how could she even THINK about going back to The Boy???"
Um, because she loves him? This is a real person writing this book remember, and real people do this kind of thing. What should she do, break up with him to make readers happy?
3) "It ends in a stupid place, nothing happens, blah blah blah..."
If I could just explain the concept of Real Time: events don't start on the first day of the new diary and then round themselves off to a neat conclusion one year later. This happens to Bridget Jones because she's not real, and doesn't have to live in Real Time.
As for my humble opinion, I thought we saw less of Belle-the-whore and more of Belle-the-girl, which can only be a good thing. I'd say I like her even more in this book- she's not a sexual temptress 24/7, she gets insecure just like the rest of us. There's no shortage of sex scenes (the fact that they're personal rather than professional just makes them even better) and more than a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. A brilliant book and I hope she'll write a third.
I think I picked the wrong book!, 22 Apr 2008
I read this book and haven't read the first in the series. It turns out from the reviews I've read that my choice was not a wise one! Belle gives up the game 50 pages in - and let's face it if you buy a book called "further adventures of a LONDON CALL GIRL" that's kinda what you're hoping for. She then goes on to document her relationship with a two-timing wally referred to as "The Boy" and we don't even get to enjoy her unceremoniously dump him at the end - they live happily ever after. This part I'm assuming because the book comes to a rather abrupt and meaningless ending, which left me wondering why I'd bothered to finish it. Looking at the reviews the first book sounds better, but be warned, this one will most likely be a disappointment.
A dull and dreary version of Bridget Jones, 26 Dec 2007
The title of this book is really misleading, because Belle is only a call girl for the first 50 pages of the book and then she `goes straight'. Unfortunately she also turns into a whining dull Bridget Jones type in the process as she obsesses about her boyfriend seeing other people behind her back.
Save yourself the bother. If you were thinking of buying this for titillation then save yourself the bother, there is hardly any sex in it, and she really isn't interesting enough as a character / protagonist to carry a whole book of moaning.
Woeful.
3 girls, 3 sexualities; which to choose?, 12 Dec 2007
I bought this book along with Abby Lee's "Girl with a One-Track Mind" and Niki Flynn's "Dances with Werewolves (Memoirs of a Spanking Model). They're three very different outlooks on sex and sexuality by three very different women.
Belle de Jour is extremely well-written and sexy, loaded with lurid, sexy, intimate glimpses into a world most of us will never know. Is it true? Who knows? Who cares? There are rumours all over the Net about who the "real" Belle de Jour is, but the bottom line is that her story is a compelling one. And hot!
Girl with One-Track Mind is different. It's the blog of a very liberated, very experimental girl in search of an indefinable sexual something that she's always wanted. Upbeat and chick-litty, but with the thoughtful introspection needed to be interesting.
Dances with Werewolves is the dark horse. The one that surprised me. Niki Flynn is a cult figure in the BDSM world and I've seen her described as "an explorer in the further reaches of psychosexual experience." Wow. How could I NOT read her life story? Well, I knew pretty much what to expect from the other two memoirs, but Ms Flynn's world was a real eye-opener. I read a lot of sexy books, but I'd never read anything like this before. It redefines conventional concepts of what "erotic" means. It made me examine my own deepest, darkest fantasies, the things I'd never tell anyone. Ms Flynn has no such inhibitions: she tells EVERYONE. It's a grippingly interesting account of what makes a kinky girl tick. She makes me want to explore my dark side... almost. I doubt if I actually will, but this book certainly stirred my fantasies.
a basic read, 14 Jul 2008
No great literary work,as you may guess, but a very good light read.... ideal holiday book. Some interesting ideas were brought to the reader's attention.
However it did leave me feeling that this was an attempt to justify a lifestyle which even the writer herself felt could not be disclosed to any of her friends and relations,thereby drawing her more and more towards a secret life that not many of us would wish to experience.
A TRULY FANTASTIC READ!, 06 Jun 2008
THIS BOOK IS JUST BRILLIANT, A TRUE STORY ABOUT A PROSTITUTE WHOS HAPPY AT HER JOB. I READ IT IN 2 DAYS, I JUST COULDNT PUT IT DOWN, A MUST READ!
Easy, amusing read, 25 May 2008
Enjoyed the book very much with regards to the story itself, although it was such an easy and simply written text that I finished it in a matter of hours. Great for a train journey or if you have little time to spare but if you're looking for an in depth read that is going to occupy you for some time then you may be dissapointed.
Light weight and airy, 14 May 2008
Is it "real" I don't know - reserve judgement. It starts well with the impact of the change of life from student to prostitute, and then seems to run out of steam once the narrator is used to her new life. I don't think I came away feeling I had learned anything new but it was certainly an easy read and made no demands.
Good summer read, 26 Feb 2008
I took this book on holiday and i couldnt put it down. I read it in a matter of days it made me laugh and laugh.
An admirable story of courage, 07 Apr 2008
I have nothing but admiration for Celine's courage, tenacity and integrity. She has had the courage to tell her story and persevere through life-difficulties to which many of us would have succumbed. She suffered horribly at the hands of those who should have protected and loved her, but she never waivered in knowing what was good and right and in creating her own loving family.
I hope this book inspires others to shine the light in those dark corners and to have the courage to create a positive life of own's own.
The first edition of the book (not this edition, but one with a reddish cover) does contain some imperfections, but so what. Blame the editors and not the writer. The editors should have done a better job - editing their writers' work IS their job! But, apparently, this, the second edition of this book, has been better edited.
Great book, 13 Jul 2008
I really enjoyed Belle's book. I loved the first one so much that I decided to buy the second and it didn't disappoint. Belle is funny, witty and has a great sense of humour. I just love the way she writes and the way she thinks about things; it makes for a great book. Following her life is always intriguing and never really predictable. All in all, a great read.
Another awesome year in the life..., 20 Jun 2008
I think all the criticisms people have about this book can be split into three parts:
1) "But... she's not a hooker anymore!!!"
So? Belle remains the same warm, witty woman she was when we last saw her, only now she's in a different line of work. There's still sexual encounters aplenty, plus the "Dear Belle" sections where she gives invaluable (and hiarious) life advice.
2) "Ugh, how could she even THINK about going back to The Boy???"
Um, because she loves him? This is a real person writing this book remember, and real people do this kind of thing. What should she do, break up with him to make readers happy?
3) "It ends in a stupid place, nothing happens, blah blah blah..."
If I could just explain the concept of Real Time: events don't start on the first day of the new diary and then round themselves off to a neat conclusion one year later. This happens to Bridget Jones because she's not real, and doesn't have to live in Real Time.
As for my humble opinion, I thought we saw less of Belle-the-whore and more of Belle-the-girl, which can only be a good thing. I'd say I like her even more in this book- she's not a sexual temptress 24/7, she gets insecure just like the rest of us. There's no shortage of sex scenes (the fact that they're personal rather than professional just makes them even better) and more than a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. A brilliant book and I hope she'll write a third.
I think I picked the wrong book!, 22 Apr 2008
I read this book and haven't read the first in the series. It turns out from the reviews I've read that my choice was not a wise one! Belle gives up the game 50 pages in - and let's face it if you buy a book called "further adventures of a LONDON CALL GIRL" that's kinda what you're hoping for. She then goes on to document her relationship with a two-timing wally referred to as "The Boy" and we don't even get to enjoy her unceremoniously dump him at the end - they live happily ever after. This part I'm assuming because the book comes to a rather abrupt and meaningless ending, which left me wondering why I'd bothered to finish it. Looking at the reviews the first book sounds better, but be warned, this one will most likely be a disappointment.
A dull and dreary version of Bridget Jones, 26 Dec 2007
The title of this book is really misleading, because Belle is only a call girl for the first 50 pages of the book and then she `goes straight'. Unfortunately she also turns into a whining dull Bridget Jones type in the process as she obsesses about her boyfriend seeing other people behind her back.
Save yourself the bother. If you were thinking of buying this for titillation then save yourself the bother, there is hardly any sex in it, and she really isn't interesting enough as a character / protagonist to carry a whole book of moaning.
Woeful.
3 girls, 3 sexualities; which to choose?, 12 Dec 2007
I bought this book along with Abby Lee's "Girl with a One-Track Mind" and Niki Flynn's "Dances with Werewolves (Memoirs of a Spanking Model). They're three very different outlooks on sex and sexuality by three very different women.
Belle de Jour is extremely well-written and sexy, loaded with lurid, sexy, intimate glimpses into a world most of us will never know. Is it true? Who knows? Who cares? There are rumours all over the Net about who the "real" Belle de Jour is, but the bottom line is that her story is a compelling one. And hot!
Girl with One-Track Mind is different. It's the blog of a very liberated, very experimental girl in search of an indefinable sexual something that she's always wanted. Upbeat and chick-litty, but with the thoughtful introspection needed to be interesting.
Dances with Werewolves is the dark horse. The one that surprised me. Niki Flynn is a cult figure in the BDSM world and I've seen her described as "an explorer in the further reaches of psychosexual experience." Wow. How could I NOT read her life story? Well, I knew pretty much what to expect from the other two memoirs, but Ms Flynn's world was a real eye-opener. I read a lot of sexy books, but I'd never read anything like this before. It redefines conventional concepts of what "erotic" means. It made me examine my own deepest, darkest fantasies, the things I'd never tell anyone. Ms Flynn has no such inhibitions: she tells EVERYONE. It's a grippingly interesting account of what makes a kinky girl tick. She makes me want to explore my dark side... almost. I doubt if I actually will, but this book certainly stirred my fantasies.
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Customer Reviews
Wit, Sex and Money, 28 Oct 2008
Wit, Sex and Money is what this book is all about. I found it exhilerating the way Belle describes her sex life and the role she has of a high-class London call girl. Many of her acquantices, we find, become more 'friendly' with her throughout the duration of the novel. A thrilling read; for both sexes!
*** Not Bad for light reading - expected more though...***, 26 Aug 2008
As my title suggests, its not bad for light reading although I did expect it to be in depth with more captivating plots/sub plots. Well written all round, I did like the style in which it was presented, I just wish it had more 'Oomph' so to speak as it would have been an outstanding book if it did. This lacking, I rated it only 3 stars. Morally I seen nothing wrong with the subject matter at all, in fact I rather enjoyed it. Back on the game as they say! Theres so much potential in this book to explore further and bring to the reader. I hope that it materialises soon, for it will be an excellent read.
Mad, mad world, 25 Mar 2008
This book centres around the personal and professional love life of Belle. This is easy to read but doesn't measure up to the hype that surrounds it. First off, I just didn't like Belle and her writing style. And sometimes the stuff she is sharing with us is just way too much information. I thought this might be a sexy & interesting read but the writer seems very self-involved and it doesn't really give you much of an insight into the industry.
Easy & enjoyable read, 24 Jan 2008
This book is simply structured and written and makes a very easy and amusing read. Although detailing her experiences with clients there is nothing too graphic in the detail and the whole book takes a light-hearted and toungue in cheek approach to Belle's somewhat morally debatable line of work and also her personal life. I have found myself re-visiting the book on a number of occasions (surely a good sign!) and the A-Z pages inparticular always raise a smile. Highly reccommended & much better than the recent TV series which is a completely different story althogether and omits many key characters.
Terrible, 19 Dec 2007
Please do not waste your time reading this book. Unfortunately she offers no insight in to her own character, thoughts or actions. The book also suffers from several editing mistakes and typos!
I'm surprised by the number of high votes here; perhaps insure to ask someone you know what they thought of the book (hopefully however you wont find anyone).
Incredible!, 03 Aug 2008
I read this book in two days and it really made me feel sick in the stomach.
How can someone do such things with their own childring is something I wish to know. Some people should not be allow to have children.
Everyone should read this book and learn of a demaged children and be alarm with the signs.
Children need to be protected!!
A sad story but compelling read, 02 Aug 2008
This was a really sad story, made even more so by the fact that Maria (the author) and I are the same age. As I read the book I compared my life to what was happening to her and this was really, really sad. The author explained herself and reasoning so well and I could understand just how her life was the way it was. However, Maria triumphed and overcame the years of abuse turning into a respectable woman and mother. I enjoyed this story and found it to be a really good read.
Worth reading, 19 Jun 2008
This truely is a horrific story it is well worth reading if only to highlight what adults should be looking for in children who they believe to be at risk. Maria paints a picture of a terribly shy child to the point of mute when adults were involved but no one bothered to question her alone or try to break down her defences to find out why she was so quiet and withdrawn.
Stories like this are becoming more and more common, i am not saying that what happened to Ria was normal but the walls of silence are breaking away so the predators cant get away with it anymore. The one thing that does puzzle is me is there is no mention of her brothers at the end it would have been nice to know they had turned their lives around to.
Good Read, 13 Apr 2008
A sad story, which you will not be able to put down. However the ending was open and it would appear likely that there will be a second book! Hate it when they do that!
An amazing true life story, 06 Apr 2008
This book was an incrediable read and i read it within a few days, i just couldnt put it down. The courage Maria Landon (the author) had to live through what she lived through and to come out the other side is incrediable. I resepect that and if one person can come through the other side anyone esle who is living in fear can do the same. The book was incrediable read!
Funny & Devilish - I just loved it!, 05 May 2008
I loved this book!
The book is set in a diary format and explains her daily goings-on! It's funny, witty, intellectual, naughty and very honest. She is somebody that I think just about every female could relate to in some way. You end up warming to her straight away. I found the book to be very moreish (for want of a better word) and couldn't put the book down. I would definitley buy other books about her. I think she has a fantastic life! I am shocked that it received a few negative reviews but hey, we're all different I guess!
average, 14 Mar 2008
i thought the book would be really funny and interesting. but in the end i thought it was very repetitive and got a bit boring. as it seemed, it just described each client she met, what they wanted and how she lost her boyfriend.
Harmless Fun, 26 Feb 2008
Well i have just finished reading this book and i have to say that in places it made me laugh and im glad of that. It is harmless fun and i enjoyed reading it. Cant wait for the next instalment.
Don't waste your time, 19 Feb 2008
This book was the biggest waste of my time. I had to force myself to keep reading (it is readable enough, at least) in the hope that the various questions it thew up were answered. I was left disappointed. Why the French theme? Perhaps the author was just trying to glamorise something rather ugly... There is very little that's 'real' about this main character. There are a few windows where she has a chance to react like a human being... but no, it's a stud in a porn film reaction we get.
In fact I found her pretty abhorrent. There's not enough sex to make it a sexy novel, nor enough plot or substance to make it a regular novel, it's just a pointless, arrogant, often immensely irritating, stream of idiocy. The only thing I liked was when she mentions hating books with stickers saying "Now a major film" on the front. Considering this book, of course, now bears a similar sticker proclaiming its TV fame....
Curious Book, 19 Oct 2007
Unlike the first reviewer I don't have any issue with the depiction of sex in the book. People like all kinds of sex, and presumably pay for all kinds of sex. A sex worker is definitely going to be knowledgeable about this, and the author doesn't pull any punches over detail, which given that the title has the words 'intimate adventures' should be no surprise. It is a strange book/blog however and I do wonder whether it was actually written by a woman, or indeed a prostitute. These type of anonymous works sometimes do turn out to be by a 55 year old man who lives in Chipping Camden and doesn't get out a lot. Regardless of who it was written by it is entertaining enough, not really detailed enough to be a porn smash hit and not personal enough to be a real diary. Personally I thought the glimpses of 'real' life were more interesting than the sex stuff, which probably says more about me than I'd care to think about!
Great book, 13 Jul 2008
I really enjoyed Belle's book. I loved the first one so much that I decided to buy the second and it didn't disappoint. Belle is funny, witty and has a great sense of humour. I just love the way she writes and the way she thinks about things; it makes for a great book. Following her life is always intriguing and never really predictable. All in all, a great read.
Another awesome year in the life..., 20 Jun 2008
I think all the criticisms people have about this book can be split into three parts:
1) "But... she's not a hooker anymore!!!"
So? Belle remains the same warm, witty woman she was when we last saw her, only now she's in a different line of work. There's still sexual encounters aplenty, plus the "Dear Belle" sections where she gives invaluable (and hiarious) life advice.
2) "Ugh, how could she even THINK about going back to The Boy???"
Um, because she loves him? This is a real person writing this book remember, and real people do this kind of thing. What should she do, break up with him to make readers happy?
3) "It ends in a stupid place, nothing happens, blah blah blah..."
If I could just explain the concept of Real Time: events don't start on the first day of the new diary and then round themselves off to a neat conclusion one year later. This happens to Bridget Jones because she's not real, and doesn't have to live in Real Time.
As for my humble opinion, I thought we saw less of Belle-the-whore and more of Belle-the-girl, which can only be a good thing. I'd say I like her even more in this book- she's not a sexual temptress 24/7, she gets insecure just like the rest of us. There's no shortage of sex scenes (the fact that they're personal rather than professional just makes them even better) and more than a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. A brilliant book and I hope she'll write a third.
I think I picked the wrong book!, 22 Apr 2008
I read this book and haven't read the first in the series. It turns out from the reviews I've read that my choice was not a wise one! Belle gives up the game 50 pages in - and let's face it if you buy a book called "further adventures of a LONDON CALL GIRL" that's kinda what you're hoping for. She then goes on to document her relationship with a two-timing wally referred to as "The Boy" and we don't even get to enjoy her unceremoniously dump him at the end - they live happily ever after. This part I'm assuming because the book comes to a rather abrupt and meaningless ending, which left me wondering why I'd bothered to finish it. Looking at the reviews the first book sounds better, but be warned, this one will most likely be a disappointment.
A dull and dreary version of Bridget Jones, 26 Dec 2007
The title of this book is really misleading, because Belle is only a call girl for the first 50 pages of the book and then she `goes straight'. Unfortunately she also turns into a whining dull Bridget Jones type in the process as she obsesses about her boyfriend seeing other people behind her back.
Save yourself the bother. If you were thinking of buying this for titillation then save yourself the bother, there is hardly any sex in it, and she really isn't interesting enough as a character / protagonist to carry a whole book of moaning.
Woeful.
3 girls, 3 sexualities; which to choose?, 12 Dec 2007
I bought this book along with Abby Lee's "Girl with a One-Track Mind" and Niki Flynn's "Dances with Werewolves (Memoirs of a Spanking Model). They're three very different outlooks on sex a | | |