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3.04 AVERAGE
3.04 AVERAGE
Read this in my early 20's. It was very good back then. I've matured since.
Read for Erotic Feminist book club. Trashy and fun, but also racist and kinda disturbing.
adventurous
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
While I certainly thought this book would be funny and outrageous I didn't realize that a large percentage of it is pornographic. I'm sure many people are already aware of this and would think I'm stupid for reading this book expecting something else, but I do think it could be marketed more clearly. Some parts of it are interesting but mostly it is over the top and silly, definitely not a thoughtful or entirely honest autobiography. I was expecting a much more insightful account but it is mostly just kind of banal when it isn't being erotic and it relies a lot on its shocking subject matter which in this day and age isn't so shocking. I don't often like to label things as being "dated" but I think this book could qualify as such being that it relied very heavily on the culture in which it was written for its scandalous appeal but is otherwise fairly superficial and insincere. Certain details of what it is like to be a madam and weird fetishes of johns were great details that were fascinating to read about but if you're genuinely interested in these topics I would recommend other material as graphic sexual encounters are foregrounded here. Even for an autobiography this book is exceptionally solipsistic and self aggrandizing. It definitely has a campy, quirky sort of appeal and I can see it being entertaining to certain people but when you're not expecting and not interested in porn it is really boring to read pornographic scenes. I suppose if you are indeed looking for retro porn you would be disappointed by anything else!
Needed a little more trash to end the month, and yep - I got it! Audiobook read by the author.
lighthearted
medium-paced
I read several other reviews suggesting this book was painfully dated and not nearly as much fun as it sounded. I can now confirm that it is painfully dated and not nearly as much fun as it sounded. You should definitely find something better to read.
medium-paced
I couldn't rate this book higher due to racism, transphobia, and the way she discussed issues such as pedophilia. I can see how shocking most of these stories would have been when the book came out, but reading story after story that's basically a repeat of "here is a weird kink you've never heard of" got really boring, especially because I've heard of all of them.
A lot of the book was really funny, whether intentionally or not. She always manages to orgasm right when the man is climaxing. She is always trying to wolf people down. The language used is comical, and I enjoyed that. It definitely seems like she added a lot of sensational details to make it more interesting for her audience, but those parts were funny.
A lot of the book was really funny, whether intentionally or not. She always manages to orgasm right when the man is climaxing. She is always trying to wolf people down. The language used is comical, and I enjoyed that. It definitely seems like she added a lot of sensational details to make it more interesting for her audience, but those parts were funny.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia
I found myself disgusted and intrigued, I'm not sure if this is a real story but if it is, yuck!
Here is my question to you, dear reader: are you looking for trash? I mean, seriously serious trash with no redeeming social values but some eye-opening information about other people's sex lives that will make you say, "Get the fuckety fuck out of here. No, they did NOT. With an umbrella??" I guarantee that unless you are Xaviera Hollander or someone likewise employed, something in this book will shock you at least a little (for me, it was the man who wanted to be fed poo, but only off of Delft china. Xaviera objected because Delft china was a product of her native Holland and it's not like there's anything else wrong with that notion....)
Is any of this true? I have no idea. Wikipedia tells me she was a real person, is still alive as of this writing and once recorded a spoken word album called Xaviera! The world is a brilliant, wacky place sometimes.
I'll finish with some advice. I bought this book on a whim at a used book store. About halfway through, I started wondering what the previous owner(s) might have been doing while they handled it. If you spray a book with Lysol, it's never really the same. Perhaps you should buy this new.
Is any of this true? I have no idea. Wikipedia tells me she was a real person, is still alive as of this writing and once recorded a spoken word album called Xaviera! The world is a brilliant, wacky place sometimes.
I'll finish with some advice. I bought this book on a whim at a used book store. About halfway through, I started wondering what the previous owner(s) might have been doing while they handled it. If you spray a book with Lysol, it's never really the same. Perhaps you should buy this new.
The biography of Xaviera Hollander, a madam in New York in the 60's. It was eh. For a book about a hooker, the sex was very benign. Almost professional...and on second thought, I guess that makes sense. Sex for Xaviera was often not about passion, but about business.