Friday

Book review: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl


The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl- Belle de Jour
Now, I usually write book reviews the day after I've finished the book. Perhaps two days at the most. The problem I have here is that I finished this book on my way to the airport before Florida and now, 3 weeks later, I'm settling down to write the review and hoping I can remember it well enough! 

Back when Billie Piper was getting her kit off in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, I watched the whole series (although it was a little awkward watching it in Rich's mum's house- I promise it's an ITV drama!). I really enjoyed it so I was interested to read the book from which it originated. Unfortunately, it was not what I was expecting.
First of all, for a book called The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl, there isn't a whole lot of intimacy. I know I'm reading a sensationalised, dramatised account of Belle's life so I'm unlikely to get all the gory details but I expected at least a fair amount of spilling the beans about her career. I'm not saying I want warts-and-all erotica, but it would be interesting to read about the business as it actually is. Instead, I got a long, fairly whingy account of her boyfriend, male friends and the odd spiteful fellow escort. That's not what I signed up to read!

This also ended up giving the same effect as I found when reading Rae Earl's My Mad Fat Diary which is a lot of surplus information that doesn't add anything to the book. Everything becomes a bit samey after a while and just ends up reading as filler.
Another issue I had was the initialising of everybody's names. I know that the real people could obviously not be identified, and I understand that initialising names adds to the height of mystery but when there are 4 As, it gets very confusing. I could not tell the difference between A1, A2, A3 and A4. Give them names, for goodness sake! How hard is it to say Adam, Andrew, Anthony and Alan? That would make it much easier!

Ultimately, I found it a frustrating and banal book with very little justification for the title. I bought a book about the confessions of a high-class London escort. I ended up reading the monologues of a posh graduate in London. Not really my thing! 

11 comments :

  1. I had this on my to read list. Since Reading your review though I may leave it. Thanks for the heads up lovely x

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    1. No problem. If you do give it a go, let me know what you think.

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  2. I read this a few years ago and I'm pretty sure I actually enjoyed it (can't remember much of the details so couldn't tell you why!) Although I do remember finding the initialising of the names very annoying!

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    1. It just got so confusing with all the initials!

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  3. haha could to know, this used to be one of my favourite shows i was curious about the book, now i know. I wont spoil my memory of the brilliantly depicted character by Billie Piper by reading the canon then lol

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    1. I loved the show but, yeah, wouldn't recommend the book!

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  4. I read a book but I can't remember what it was called (it had a pink cover and and illustration involving white frilly knickers) and that was about a call girl and I thought it was pretty good insight into the actual life of a call girl.

    Nadia
    The Girl Who Looks Like a Cake

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  5. I've read this too! I loved this and the TV series - but like you, I did find it annoying how she named guys in the book! x x

    http://www.curiouser-and-curiouser.co.uk

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    1. Couldn't she have just called them Steve and Paul or something?

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  6. I definitely enjoyed the TV show far more than the book - you're right, all the A's were very confusing! Thanks for sharing your thoughts :) xx

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