Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl

Don't Bother

The title of this book makes you think it will be one of the most exciting books you will ever read. Honestly it was one of the worst books I ever read. It lacks so much I don't even know where to begin. Half the time the reader is simply made to endure endless pages of following the main character around the city getting her hair done, leg waxed, etc. Unfortunately this book does not live up to its title.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not Bad, Not Great

This book was hard to stay into. I felt the story line was all over the place and it was difficult to keep reading. Half the time I would forget the characters in the story because many of them were hardly mentioned. I kept reading just for the ending, but I was disappointed by that as well. However, the book is okay for a quick read and is not utterly terrible.

Unfair reviews IMO

I admit to being fascinated by the subject, and I bet a lot of other people are too. But this isn't some titillating book about humping handsome strangers--it's a serious book about what it means to have sex for money with strangers. It's very chatty but it's serious underneath, even almost philosophical in places. It's not a fantasy about hookers with hearts of gold. if you want that, go watch Pretty Woman. If you're interested in hearing what a real woman thinks of the realities of the sex trade, it's worth a look.

Relentlessly Boring

I am a big time reader. I love all genres and can appreciate the different aspects of a novel no matter what the topic. Since purchasing my nook i have read about 4 books a week and this is the FIRST book that i simply could not finish. I struggled through almost 90 pages of obnoxiously unriveting story line before giving up and moving on to something else. Not worth the money...

Title is the only interesting part of whole book

Couldn't get interested at all, finally just threw the book down and started another one.

Just Terrible

I couldn't even finish it.

Not bad, but not great

This book is definitely better than its sequel diary of a married call girl, and I found even though the narrative of this story didn't compell me to read on, I wanted to anyway. And this book is very easy to read, so maybe it's just a handy book to have around if you're bored, the sex scenes are quite explicit but not in a crude way which is a nice touch. Not particularly brilliant, but maybe worth a read on a rainy day.

not the best chicklit

this was only okay, i didnt think that it was that sexy, like the title made you think... it wasnt that great either as a story line. i felt i wanted more from the book by the time i was done.

Manhattan Call Girl

It just wasn't good :( ... I was expecting much more, hopefully the tv show/movie will be better...

A Defintie Page-turner

Sexy, exotic, and hilarious! It's amazing, and I couldn't put it down! If anybody knows of any other books like this one, please tell!!

Reviews tell the whole story

I waited a year for this book to come out in paperbook. I should have waited another few years. The reviews the critics gave pretty much tell the whole story. So, save your money.

Shrill and Two-Dimensional

Why do the names of so many bad writers sound odd or made up, until one discovers that they are real. The shamelessly self-promoting Quan spends more time brand name dropping than developing meaningful, conflicted characters that one can relate to. Tension is supposed to be created when the fiancé Matt proposes, thus placing the heroine Nancy Chan in the position of deciding whether or not to continue hooking. Unfortunately, the formulaic plot makes the reader care for Chan's situation about as much as a jock cares for wearing lipstick. Quan present the physical work of prostitution as if one is ticking off items needed from the grocery store ('always do a few extra Kegels afterwards'). Quan, who is now in her early forties, was raised in the same small Canadian town as I and it seems she still navigates life through the lens of a small-town girl--not at all cosmopolitan, though straining for it on every page.

Somewhat Confusing

The writing was intelligent and mature. However, the characters I personally felt weren't developed enough. Rent this book out at your local library.

couldnt put it down, needed stronger ending

This book is fantastic! I literally read it in one sitting - which was easy because after reading the Salon.com chapters I knew all of the characters. The story unfolds really well - the timing is great. The only problem is that the ending (no spoilers, I promise) was a little abrupt. I look forward to more work from Tracy Quan!!!!

Smart and sassy - Chan brings a delightful new voice to a very old profession

Nancy Chan lunches with her friends. She shops. She visits her shrink. She works out. She worries about her fiance. She frets about money. She can't find a cab in the rain. She dreads going before a co-op board. She lives an utterly Manhattan existence except for the fact that she's a call girl.

Tracy Quan has created a humorous novel that discusses the life and times of a modern call-girl in a matter-of-fact way. She talks about sex with clients in the same way she discusses working out. A kegel here, an ab crunch there. They're both just simple parts of her life.

Nancy's clients are an interesting and accomplished and older bunch, and her fondness for them is apparent. They add depth and color to the novel. These are not 'Johns' in the typical sense. As Nancy travels around town, she encounters a cast of characters we have not seen anywhere else. A call-girl who graduated from being a drug dealer. A call-girl who graduated from the Ivy League. Sex-worker activists. Sex-worker groupies. A fiance whose sister works for the District Attorney. A fiance who works on Wall Street.

Nancy doesn't just play her life for laughs. We learn about her childhood in Canada and her youth in London, where she turned tricks in hotel bars. There were scary moments on the job, so she doesn't glorify her profession. But she demonstrates courage and perseveres, until we find her at the top of her game, able to efficiently address a client's needs without mussing her hair or making her late for dinner with the in-laws to be. The humor and humanity make for a delightful read. And if you've ever wanted to peek into the mysterious world of the high class call girl - this is the ideal vehicle for any would-be voyeur.

Funny, insightful look at rarefied world of call girls

All unhappy prostitutes are alike, but each happy hooker is happy in her own way. Tracy Quan gives us a comic view of the world of high-end call-girls who juggle a decadent profession with the impulse to find respectability in marriage and money. Unlike the women in Sex and the City, who never seem to worry about money, Quan's heroines are as alert to the economic and social demands of living in NYC in the 21st century as Edith Wharton's are alert to the demands of the 19th. DIARY is a comedy of manners that acknowledges and embraces a world that some New Yorkers like to pretend doesn't exist. You'll recommend this one to your friends.

Rollicking, picaresque novel of life at the top of the sex trade

This is the hilarious story of the world of the private call girl. Nancy Chan, Manhattan call girl extraordinaire, zestfully describes her quotidian life, moving from wealthy but demanding clients to fellow call girls with their own problems to a blissfully ignorant boy friend, with stops along the way for shrink and shopping. There's plenty of spicy detail about the tricks of the trade as well as the complications of professional and personal lives that must be kept separate. All of this is delivered with an infectious humor and an energy that keeps the reader turning the pages. This is Fanny Hill in 21st century Manhattan. You'll want to own this book.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.