Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

“The Great American Novel (at last!)” by Hollywood’s first female scriptwriter, and the basis for the movie starring Marilyn Monroe (Edith Wharton).   Meet 1920s flapper Lorelei Lee, aka Mabel Minnow from Little Rock, Arkansas. She has it all: a millionaire “benefactor,” a lavish lifestyle, and dazzling good looks. The problem is she may be falling in love with a man who is temporarily married—and permanently poor. Luckily, Lorelei is distracted when her current male companion sends her on an “educational” tour of Europe with her plucky friend Dorothy. Gaining admirers and jewelry but never losing her heart, Lorelei eventually returns to New York, where she learns she had better stick with what works: charming men into love—and out of their money.   “A guilty pleasure it may be, but it is impossible to overlook the enduring influence of a tale that helped to define the jazz age. . . . Long before Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones, Loos hit on a young woman’s diary as the perfect medium for satirical romance.” —The Guardian, “The 100 Best Novels”   “Anita Loos has captured an extraordinary voice, and therein lies not only the novel’s charm, but also its compelling force. . . . The novel resonates today, as it did nearly a century ago.” —Chicago Tribune, “Editor’s Choice”   “Loos’ satirical reflection on all her lived experiences—marriages to men who undermined her, strong friendships with glamorous actresses like Constance Talmadge, and her perpetual battle against a patriarchal world that wasn’t eager to make space for her career ambitions.” —The A. V. Club