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bethanyapg's review against another edition
1.0
Stated simply: this is a bad book not worth your time.
For some who used to be a prostitute Tracy Quan writes like a detached bitch with no understanding of the world, but then again maybe that's just her personality.
None of the plot lines are tied up and I mean that NONE of them are. It's sloppy to the point of embarrassing and I can't believe someone actually read this garbage and deemed it good enough to publish.
Do not bother reading it, don't waste you time. There is 100s of better books out there about the business. Not this unemotional mean crap.
For some who used to be a prostitute Tracy Quan writes like a detached bitch with no understanding of the world, but then again maybe that's just her personality.
None of the plot lines are tied up and I mean that NONE of them are. It's sloppy to the point of embarrassing and I can't believe someone actually read this garbage and deemed it good enough to publish.
Do not bother reading it, don't waste you time. There is 100s of better books out there about the business. Not this unemotional mean crap.
sampena16's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up this book partly on a whim and partly because I LOVED this one British mini series called "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" that has basically the same premise as this novel (except set in London). While the plot is rather frivolous and the characters a little airy and mildly irritating, I still enjoyed it somewhat as a light summer read that you don't have to pay too much attention to.
lucygodfrey's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.5
rachrog517's review against another edition
2.0
This should have been a fast read, but I honestly struggled to sit and read it. Just chose other things to do... in quarantine... than continue on with the story. My awful habit of not allowing myself to abandon books made me finish this, and I feel like a high schooler that has just finished a required reading. The best book I have read that was similar to this topic was “Candy Girl: A Year In The Life of an Accidental Stripper” by Diablo Cody. That book was fantastic, great writing and based on the author’s experience.
jordanpattern's review against another edition
3.0
Trashy, yes, but also funny, poignant, and even (at times) thought provoking.
stephh's review against another edition
3.0
Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl is written by Tracy Quan, an ex-call girl turned novelist, who uses her experiences to really tackle stereotypes around sex work. The main character of the book, Nancy Chan, is a prostitute who largely has sex with older gentlemen. She's reached a stage in her career where things are a little easier money-wise, but as she's getting older she's starting to face the idea of a future away from sex work. There's one other driving force for this: her fiancee Matt who has no idea what her real job is.
I found it pretty hard to engage with this book, and from the reviews I've read of it, it seems as though a lot of other people feel the same. The language is quite cold and distant, where it would work so well as a book filled with emotion. The stories she tells offer an interesting insight into life as a call girl, but don't delve into her feelings about it.
A good portion of the book is based around her lying to her fiancee about what she does, and it's not told in a way that's justified: the protagonist knows that what she's doing is wrong, but she's stringing this poor guy along leading a double life. The ending is also very abrupt: we never find out what happens with her deciding whether or not to tell him, and it all just tails off randomly.
I'm giving this three stars because it did offer an interesting insight into life as a call girl, told by someone who knows what she's talking about, but the whole idea of a plot or any kind of narrative flow seems to have been a bit lost along the way.
I found it pretty hard to engage with this book, and from the reviews I've read of it, it seems as though a lot of other people feel the same. The language is quite cold and distant, where it would work so well as a book filled with emotion. The stories she tells offer an interesting insight into life as a call girl, but don't delve into her feelings about it.
A good portion of the book is based around her lying to her fiancee about what she does, and it's not told in a way that's justified: the protagonist knows that what she's doing is wrong, but she's stringing this poor guy along leading a double life. The ending is also very abrupt: we never find out what happens with her deciding whether or not to tell him, and it all just tails off randomly.
I'm giving this three stars because it did offer an interesting insight into life as a call girl, told by someone who knows what she's talking about, but the whole idea of a plot or any kind of narrative flow seems to have been a bit lost along the way.
thebookmouse's review against another edition
4.0
Having previously read the adventures of Belle De Jour in the world of a call girl, I had high expectations for this book - even though this one is fiction.
This book did not dissapoint, it's not as rude as Belle's tales, but it defiately does not lack in plot.
It's a fun and easy read. Now off to read the sequal.
This book did not dissapoint, it's not as rude as Belle's tales, but it defiately does not lack in plot.
It's a fun and easy read. Now off to read the sequal.
rosegguk's review against another edition
3.0
E' un libro senza infamia e senza lode. Tra qualche mese non ricorderò gran parte delle cose che ho letto, onestamente perché rimane un po' inconsistente nonostante il numero di pagine.
L'ho letto perché mi era piaciuto il telefilm "The Secret Diary of a London Call Girl" e non trovando il libro da cui è stato ispirato, mi sono accontentata di un tema simile.
Sono stata felice che le cose venissero chiamate col loro nome e non con giri di parole e dee interiori varie.
Però mi aspettavo di più, sinceramente.
La fine è stata troppo veloce, la parte che doveva essere curata di più è invece stata lasciata più "al caso".
Quando iniziava a farsi veramente interessante, insomma, c'è stato il capitolo finale.
Un po' una delusione, ecco.
L'ho letto perché mi era piaciuto il telefilm "The Secret Diary of a London Call Girl" e non trovando il libro da cui è stato ispirato, mi sono accontentata di un tema simile.
Sono stata felice che le cose venissero chiamate col loro nome e non con giri di parole e dee interiori varie.
Però mi aspettavo di più, sinceramente.
La fine è stata troppo veloce, la parte che doveva essere curata di più è invece stata lasciata più "al caso".
Quando iniziava a farsi veramente interessante, insomma, c'è stato il capitolo finale.
Un po' una delusione, ecco.