The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl - Belle de Jour

Advantages: Appealing to young women and well written
Disadvantages: Dry in places, a few annoying habits.... Oh, nothing you'd kick her out of bed for.

...4 Novembre When the TV Series of this much touted (or should that be 'pimped'?) book appeared on ITV2, I inadvertently watched a couple of episodes. The series was nothing special, just one of those will-they-won't-they romances between an ordinary boy and an ordinary girl (who happened to work in the sex trade). Easy viewing for a late night winding down, cup of hot chocolate in hand and dog on lap. So, when I saw the book in ASDA for £3.50, I thought ...
...start, Belle is not simply the ordinary posh girl entering the sex trade for a bit of a laugh and a 'Poor me' story. The first thing that hits you is the fact that she is upfront, incredibly frank about her fantasies and that her own desire has propelled her into her situation as much as any other factor. Oddly cosmopolitan, the book is set in London, with alluring use of French dates in Belle's diary and the occasional Americanisms. I'm almost not ... Read review

Advantages: An insight into a world most of us will never know
Disadvantages: At least, unless the gossip is true

It’s not often that the release of a book, particularly an author’s debut, is newsworthy. In recent times every word from J. K. Rowling has made the headlines, but she’s an exception. However, it was BBC London News that first made me aware of “Belle de Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl”. As is my way, I was only half listening and paid little attention. When a friend lent me a copy of the book, I remembered where I’d heard of ...
...real expectations. Apart from the ones you get from seeing a book with “Intimate Adventures” in the title. By sharing her diary, Belle takes us through several months in her life. We hear about her work, her home life, boyfriend troubles and nights in and out with friends. She occasionally goes home to see her parents and is still on friendly terms with a remarkable number of her ex-boyfriends. Her flat is rented and she goes down the gym regularly. ... Read review

Advantages: Witty, entertaining, enlightening, yet easy to relate to.
Disadvantages: Terrible ending, some non-sensical entries.

...Amazon). Now, I'm not into the usual 'girl' books, I prefer fast-paced, action-packed, blood-spurting, crime thrillers to drop off to. But, Belle's book really tickled my fancy; for want of a better phrase. It promised to be racy, but I liked the idea that it was a true confessional, spawned from her personal blog online. As far as first lines go, Belle manages to make you laugh instantly, 'The first thing you should know is that I'm a whore.' No ...
...overly proud of the fact that she sells herself to men, but, for Belle, it's a way to pay the bills, have fun, and all the while enjoy doing something she loves. Not only does this diary follow Belle's escapades with her 'clients', there's a great deal of her personal relationships, too. It's difficult to remember who A1, A2, A3, A4, N, Angel, First Date, C, etc, etc. are, but it keeps you on your toes. Remember, this is meant to be a personal journal. ... Read review

Advantages: Light-hearted and witty
Disadvantages: Isn't as erotic as portrayed

I must admit the subject matter of this book isn't something that I normally would be interested in but it looked so cute, in hardback, compact and with a nice sketch of a high heeled shoe on the cover. A friend loaned me his copy as I'd never heard of it, apparently Belle, the author, has based the book on her award winning webblog in which she recorded her life over a period of months, someone then decided it would be great as a book. And so it ...
...an escort or call-girl or the even grander title; a courtesan, getting paid for her time from men; technically not illegal. You get the impression Belle is an intelligent, good-looking and articulate lady in her mid to late twenties. One day she decided to earn more money than any temp job or any other job in London could offer and for working less hours. To give you an idea she won't earn less than £200 per hour. She works for an agency as Belle ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting, well written.
Disadvantages: Apart from the fact it might not be "real", nothing.

...range of interests, goes to the gym, drinks pints and she listens to decent music... In short, Belle is a person I could find myself being friends with (and she could bully me into going to the gym more often). Did I mention that she's also a prostitute? "Belle de Jour: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl" covers a period in Belle's life between November 2003 and late June, 2004. In her 'diary' entries, she gives us an insight into her ...
...the only topic that you'll read about. You'll read about trips north to visit the family, social engagements with her (predominantly male) friends and her relationship with 'The Boy' as he is affectionately known. By the end of the book, you'll be familiar with the four As, N, The Boy and the rest of Belle's acquaintances (no-one that Belle knows personally is ever named outright). Certainly, as the book drew to a close, I was wishing that I had ... Read review