I first saw the Marilyn Monroe movie Gentlemen Prefer Blonds as a youth years ago and have a vague recollection of it being whimsical fun but my general memory of the film is pretty limited. I need to go back and watch it as an adult and see it from fresher eyes. Reading these books was a great experience. They were generally a quick read, although it took the first couple of chapters for me to get used to the style…which slowed me down as I re-read segments to double check grammar and spelling. Anita Loos does an exquisite job of capturing the singular voice of Lorelei Lee. I absolutely love the narrative style and the oblivious ignorance with which Lorelei approaches the world.
The story itself is not terribly remarkable. It largely plays out as a series of humorous anecdotes as Lorelei and her friend Dorothy travel the world to be properly "educated." Presenting the story from Lorelei's point of view makes her own comments and actions all the more hilarious while also making Dorothy's comments so much fun, especially since Lorelei never really understands the full meaning of her friend's remarks.
I really enjoyed the style and would love to read more by Loos. She started her writing career as a screenwriter and as I looked at her list of novels is fairly short, which is a shame.
Don't expect anything really deep going into these books (unless your idea of depth is the same as Lorelei's, in which case this book may be over your head). These books are a fabulous portrayal of life in the 20s as seen through the eyes of the gold-digging blonde (in the literal and stereotypical sense). It's a great light-hearted satirical look at life and romance.
4 out of 5 stars
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1 comment:
Sounds quirky ;)
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