A review by pascalthehoff
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes plays with the fantasy of being a rich girl in the roaring 1920s. From a 2020s perspective, what is shown here would no longer be considered feminist, even regressive. Yet this very specific scenario captures what it meant to be a (very privileged) autonomous woman in a particular place and time. 

 

This autonomy is expressed not only in the protagonist’s actions, but also in her assertive language. In addition, she rarely refers to herself in the first person, instead using more general phrasings. "I mean a girl has to look out in Paris, or she would have such a good time in Paris that she would not get anywheres." – In these cases, "a girl" refers to basically all girls. This constant generalization beautifully draws the reader into the story and creates a sense of kinship (not only for girl readers). 

 

The self-deprecation with which the author describes a typical American tourist's trip to Europe is particularly funny. The most exciting aspects of European capitals are the American hotels full of American tourists, American jazz bands and the way in which European landmarks fail to live up to American standards of grandeur. Bavarians literally nudge people with sausages and Paris is generally just "divine". 

 

Characters struggle while paying their champagne with million-crown bills in postwar inflation-ridden Europe while exclaiming that this money doesn’t make any sense. In this way, the novel is not only an unreflected glorification of wealth, but is also aware of the ignorance that tends to accompany a certain ease of living. 

 

Still, compared to similar novels of the time, especially those from European countries, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes feels a little too smooth around the edges. Its carefree stream of consciousness makes for a perfect vibe novel. But other 1920s classics by female authors with similar themes are more interesting because they show a broader range of what could happen to a woman in the 1920s in her quest for autonomy. (One recommendation would be "The Artificial Silk Girl" by German author Irmgard Keun, original title: Das Kunstseidene Mädchen.)