The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle Du Jour

I first heard about Belle Du Jour last year, when I was perusing books with my then Cebu-based friend P in Powerbooks (Cebu). But they only had her other titles, and being the OC-reader that I am, I wanted to read her first book before reading the other titles. I was finally able to get a copy of The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl during my last bum date with M, but was only able to finish reading it this morning. I blame work.

I found her chronicles interesting and entertaining, although there are some banal moments for which we can't really blame her. Not everyone's life is like a soap opera where drama is a constant factor. Still, apart from those momentary musings on the weather, the work as a whole was entertaining. And given that this is a true account of her life (or at least of a year in her life), she managed to maintain a climactic suspense which led to a satisfying albeit expected closure.

The advantage of anonymity is the freedom to talk about anything and everything. Belle was surprisingly and refreshingly open about both her professional and personal life - sometimes at the point of sharing too much information already. But then again it IS her diary, and if diarists don't have the license to ramble about anything they want, then who does?

One thing amusing about her diary is her penchant for lists, which is reminiscent of Bridget Jones. Only some of her lists are not exactly for those with a prudish disposition. Still, these are quite informative. ;) But this isn't to say that there are no profound insights in her chronicles. On the contrary, Belle is quite the reader of people (which is probably an asset for working girls).

All in all, her chronicles are an enjoyable and entertaining read.