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The 30th anniversary edition of one of the modern classics of the sexual revolution-with a new Afterword by the author. An international phenomenon upon its initial publication in 1972, The Happy Hooker established Xaviera Hollander-previously the most powerful madam in New York City-as the world's best-known observer and commentator on sexual issues. A racy account of her life behind the brothel door, The Happy Hooker became an instant classic that marked the intersection between the show more Playboy generation and the sexual revolution of the feminist era. Hollander left no vice unturned, covering lesbianism, bondage, and other sexual appetites with a frank tone that left the reader with no doubt that they were listening to a master…or mistress, as it were. Now restored gloriously to print in a first-ever trade paperback edition, The Happy Hooker will reintroduce a whole new generation to the carefree days of swinging in the '60s and '70s. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
One of the more salacious best-seller tell-alls half a century ago. Shallow and sordid (and anything but happy), it was ghost-written by Yvonne Dunleavy based on recorded interviews with Hollander. It was among a wave of books appearing through the early 70s that, for the first time, provided a morally-neutral and uncensored de facto sex education for a large fraction of North Americans, young and old.
I love the story of how I found this book: I was at the campus library book sale my freshman year of college and I was searching through the tables for anything promising looking. A woman with an Eastern-European accent who looked to be in her mid-40s handed me a copy of this book and told me I would like it. Yes - I bought a book recommended to me by some random stranger who I'd never seen before or since.
The book itself is hilariously trashy. This book was reprinted a few years ago, but apparently the new edition omits a few choice scenes. You'll have to search around for the '70s version if you want to get the full effect.
The book itself is hilariously trashy. This book was reprinted a few years ago, but apparently the new edition omits a few choice scenes. You'll have to search around for the '70s version if you want to get the full effect.
Found this book to be interesting but did not have much depth to it... great short read for a bus trip i was on but didnt have much interest to keep it after that... Good for a one time read well written and definately from a one person perspective... Good look into a world that exists that many of us have little knowledge of
Probably more about the operations of the world's oldest profession than you might want to know; and some of it like to be taken with a grain of salt. Still, perversely (!) entertaining in its own way.
There are some very weird people in this world, and this book talks about a couple of them... apart from that, interesting to find out what people get up to (no pun intended ;-)
It's gritty. It's raw. It's real. It is sex in the 1970's. It is what it was. Xaviera Hollander was the Hedi Fleiss of her generation. It's a dark look into the world of high class call girls.
More people should read it and overturn their grim view of sex and the fine ladies selling it.
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Swinging Seventies
255 works; 18 members
scav
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Author Information
46+ Works 832 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1971
- People/Characters
- Xaviera de Vries
- Related movies
- The Happy Hooker (1975 | IMDb)
- Dedication
- Dedicated to Larry and Takis
- First words
- Almost from the moment we were herded into the crowded cattlepen of a prison cell in New York's famous Tombs, the jail-toughened black hookers gave us nothing but misery.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)If only this book has opened people's eyes about the life of "working girls" and the madam supervising them, I will be grateful.
Classifications
- Genres
- Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 306.742092 — Social sciences Social sciences, sociology & anthropology Culture and institutions Sexual relations Sex work and prostitution Prostitution by females Female sex workers by place
- LCC
- HQ144 .H64 — Social sciences The family. Marriage, Women and Sexuality The Family. Marriage. Women Sexual life Prostitution
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 460
- Popularity
- 65,918
- Reviews
- 12
- Rating
- (2.97)
- Languages
- 5 — Danish, Dutch, English, German, Italian
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 25
- ASINs
- 12
