The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl
Encyclopedia
The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl are memoirs of a former London
call girl
written by Dr. Brooke Magnanti, under the pseudonym Belle de Jour
.
From the summer of 2003 to the autumn of 2004 Belle charted her day-to-day adventures on and off the field in a web diary. The blog
s were then published into the book, in which Belle elaborates on the diary entries and tells of how she became a Call Girl.
ically, and that she literally is a "whore".
After the prologue the book begins in a diary
format, with Belle explaining the clients she meets and her personal complications that become entwined with her job as a call girl
. The average diary entries last little longer than a page and are always titled with the date, which is written in French
, for example, the first diary entry reads "Samedi, le 1 Novembre", which translates into Saturday, 1 November. Each chapter is broken apart by the month the diary entries were written in, for example "Novembre" (November). This writing trick falls a bit short to any real French reader since you would normally write in French "Samedi 1er novembre" (Saturday, 1 November) and not "Samedi, le 1 Novembre".
in 2007 called Secret Diary of a Call Girl
. The show stars Billie Piper
as Belle
but also shows her private life and her personal struggles; in the adaptation her real name is Hannah Baxter
. The show has since been aired in America
by Showtime.
, Belle's madam in Secret Diary, is a cynical woman who often argues with Belle. The Boy appears to have no television equivalent. The closest character to The Boy would be Alex; however the links between the two are somewhat tenuous. The character of Hannah Baxter
, who also goes under the pseudonym
Belle, remains very close to the original descriptions of Belle de Jour in the books.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
call girl
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
written by Dr. Brooke Magnanti, under the pseudonym Belle de Jour
Belle de Jour (writer)
Brooke Magnanti is a research scientist, blogger, and writer, who, until her identity was revealed in November 2009, was known by the pen name Belle de Jour. While completing her doctoral studies, between 2003 and 2004, Magnanti supplemented her income by working as a London call girl...
.
From the summer of 2003 to the autumn of 2004 Belle charted her day-to-day adventures on and off the field in a web diary. The blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s were then published into the book, in which Belle elaborates on the diary entries and tells of how she became a Call Girl.
Synopsis
The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl begins with Belle de Jour introducing herself as a "whore", then further explaining that she does not mean it metaphorMetaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
ically, and that she literally is a "whore".
After the prologue the book begins in a diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
format, with Belle explaining the clients she meets and her personal complications that become entwined with her job as a call girl
Call girl
A call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
. The average diary entries last little longer than a page and are always titled with the date, which is written in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, for example, the first diary entry reads "Samedi, le 1 Novembre", which translates into Saturday, 1 November. Each chapter is broken apart by the month the diary entries were written in, for example "Novembre" (November). This writing trick falls a bit short to any real French reader since you would normally write in French "Samedi 1er novembre" (Saturday, 1 November) and not "Samedi, le 1 Novembre".
People featured in the book
- Belle: The writer of The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. The book focuses primarily on Belle's life.
- N: An ex-boyfriend of Belle's and her good friend.
- The manager: Belle's madamPimpA pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
, an intelligent woman, fluent in GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. - The Boy: Belle's boyfriend, who is aware of her job as a call girlCall girlA call girl or female escort is a sex worker who is not visible to the general public; nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency...
.
Adaptation
An adaption was created for ITV2ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
in 2007 called Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a British television drama broadcast on ITV2 from 2007-2011 based on the blog and books by the pseudonymous "Belle de Jour," starring Billie Piper as Belle, a high-class London call girl. The series was written by Lucy Prebble, who is also known as the author of The...
. The show stars Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
as Belle
Hannah Baxter
Hannah Baxter is the lead semi-fictional character and protagonist of the British ITV2 television series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Hannah secretly has a double life as a high-class call girl as her alter ego Belle, for which she acknowledges and comments directly to the audience, throughout each...
but also shows her private life and her personal struggles; in the adaptation her real name is Hannah Baxter
Hannah Baxter
Hannah Baxter is the lead semi-fictional character and protagonist of the British ITV2 television series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Hannah secretly has a double life as a high-class call girl as her alter ego Belle, for which she acknowledges and comments directly to the audience, throughout each...
. The show has since been aired in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Showtime.
Differences
Some of the characters in Secret Diary of a Call Girl have different personalities from their literary counterparts. N is described as "the hub of all gossip", whereas Ben in Secret Diary of a Call Girl does not seem to share this trait. The manager is described as rather nice, and Belle appears to have a pleasant enough relationship with her, however StephanieStephanie (Secret Diary of a Call Girl)
Stephanie Charlton was a fictional character in the ITV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. She is portrayed by the actress Cherie Lunghi.-Character history:...
, Belle's madam in Secret Diary, is a cynical woman who often argues with Belle. The Boy appears to have no television equivalent. The closest character to The Boy would be Alex; however the links between the two are somewhat tenuous. The character of Hannah Baxter
Hannah Baxter
Hannah Baxter is the lead semi-fictional character and protagonist of the British ITV2 television series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Hannah secretly has a double life as a high-class call girl as her alter ego Belle, for which she acknowledges and comments directly to the audience, throughout each...
, who also goes under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Belle, remains very close to the original descriptions of Belle de Jour in the books.