I've divorced better men than you. And worn more expensive shoes than these. So don't think placing this ad is the biggest comedown I've ever ha... read full description
reviews
Dec 17, 2009
Nathan
rated it: 
This is a perfect read for lonely English majors to read between actual books. It's a collection of personal ads from the London Review of Books. It would have been the funniest book I read all year if it weren't for the fact that I got one too many of the Star Trek references in the chapter about X-Files sub-plot character rejects, which, in all honesty, pretty much sums up why I was reading the book in the first place.
NC
NC
Jul 19, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
Tired of feeling patronised by the ads in this column? Then I am not the woman for you, little man. Today you may be benighted and insignificant, tomorrow you will be more so. Now off you go. Box no. 1912
This one is my favorite.
I have always struggled with the modern literary novel (the ones that win Booker Prizes and are raved about at parties by people who I don't think actually finished them). So, about ten years ago, I decided to subscribe to The London Review of Book More...
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Feb 12, 2012
Morgana
rated it: 
"A girlfriend isn't a girlfriend unless she makes my mother cry with grief every time she visits. For two years now she's sat, contented, in front of the TV with not a care in the world. That's where you come in. Professional M, 38, seeks, heartless common slut with no small knowledge of sheltered-housing application procedures."
Perhaps 2.5 stars. Some of these were really quite amusing, and this would probably be a good book to keep on a shelf in a guest bedroom for de More...
Perhaps 2.5 stars. Some of these were really quite amusing, and this would probably be a good book to keep on a shelf in a guest bedroom for de More...
May 16, 2009
Eva
rated it:
This really isn't my type of humor or my type of book. It's a slim book but still too long in a way. How many personal ads can one read before wanting to puke?
Some of them were kind of funny- "My ideal woman is a man. Sorry mother."
Others were just plain stupid and still others tried so hard to be witty and funny and fell short. By a long shot.
It made me wonder, because with a lot of these ads you could really just tell so much thought went into them, what do these More...
Some of them were kind of funny- "My ideal woman is a man. Sorry mother."
Others were just plain stupid and still others tried so hard to be witty and funny and fell short. By a long shot.
It made me wonder, because with a lot of these ads you could really just tell so much thought went into them, what do these More...
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Dec 16, 2009
Angie
rated it:
this book is just down right hilarious. My personal favorite.
"Gynotikolobomassphile (M, 43) seeks neanimorphic F to 60 to share euneirophrenia. Must enjoy pissing off librarians (and be able to provide the correct term for same)."
"Gynotikolobomassphile (M, 43) seeks neanimorphic F to 60 to share euneirophrenia. Must enjoy pissing off librarians (and be able to provide the correct term for same)."
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Jun 01, 2010
Leeanna
rated it:
They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books, edited by David Rose
"They Call Me Naughty Lola" was recommended to me by a friend, and I normally enjoy British humor, so I thought I'd like it. But something about the book was off for me.
It just wasn't that funny.
The book is nicely put together, with some footnotes for references to British pop culture, but there were some missing references. The acronym WTLM is used in almos More...
"They Call Me Naughty Lola" was recommended to me by a friend, and I normally enjoy British humor, so I thought I'd like it. But something about the book was off for me.
It just wasn't that funny.
The book is nicely put together, with some footnotes for references to British pop culture, but there were some missing references. The acronym WTLM is used in almos More...
Jan 06, 2012
Margie
rated it:
I have just found my true love. Unfortunately, he lives in England and wrote a personal ad at least five years ago (and is thus probably now married).
"If John Sutherland were a soul disco diva, would he sing Barry White? Hopeful author of new OUP modern philosophy series (read my pilot, 'Who would win in a fight between Proust and Marvin Gaye?). Man, 37, WLTM woman to 40 who would be Wuthering Heights read by Rose Royce if she were a 19th-century novel given to a '70s supergr More...
"If John Sutherland were a soul disco diva, would he sing Barry White? Hopeful author of new OUP modern philosophy series (read my pilot, 'Who would win in a fight between Proust and Marvin Gaye?). Man, 37, WLTM woman to 40 who would be Wuthering Heights read by Rose Royce if she were a 19th-century novel given to a '70s supergr More...
Feb 13, 2011
Lisa
rated it: 
Whenever I read a book of epic proportions (in this case, Team of Rivals) I like to have something to break up the reading experience. Naughty Lola is kind of the perfect example of this. It's a book full of random personal ads, and while they're not all pure gold, there are some great ones. And I really liked the footnotes; apparently, the British need to be told what Dorritos and "Battlestar Galactica" are. Plus, it ends with an Evil Kneivel timeline and that's FTW.
R More...
R More...
Feb 08, 2012
Mary
rated it: 
If you are looking for an amusing read that can be put down and picked up at any time, this fits the bill. The puzzle is whether anyone who wrote these supposed personal ads ever receives a response. They are funny, quirky, and literate, but the people who write them do not truly seem to want to meet a mate. My favorite: gynotikolobomassophile (M, 43) sees neanimorphic F to 60 to share euneirophrenia. Must enjoy pissing off librarians (and be able to provide the correct term for same). Box
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Nov 26, 2010
Jim
rated it:
This book takes pride of place as my favourite toilet read, next to Letterbox by Viz. A quintessential selection of British humour, intelligence and wit, combined with quiet desperation and understated sexual frenzy, you just know that more than half these submissions are written to entertain instead of attract a mate. Let’s face it, if you were as half as funny as these personal ads are, you wouldn’t be crying yourself to sleep every night in your lonely bed-sit or mansion. Buy it, and find you
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May 05, 2009
Zombieelvis
rated it:
One of the funniest books I've ever read. It's a strange thing to read - not like list books, or general ephemera, but really as a snap-shot of a very particular demographic of people. However you read it, it is genuinely hilarious - very literary, very bizarre, often dark but always very very funny. If you like Flann O'Brien's journalism, or Thomas Bernhard, you get a much better sense of where this book is coming from. Buy this book as a gift to cheer up a friend and you will instantly see the
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Sep 01, 2009
Starfish
rated it:
This book is simply a collection of personal ads published in the London Review of Books. They're awesome. I really like 'I'd like to dedicate this advert to my mother (difficult cow, 65) who is responsible for me still being single at 36. Man. 36. Single. Held at home by years of subtle emotional abuse and at least 19 fake heart-attacks.' The advertisers are quirky, funny and desperate, a great combination.
Japan people, let me know if you want to borrow this, otherwise I'll be leav More...
Japan people, let me know if you want to borrow this, otherwise I'll be leav More...
Sep 10, 2011
ian
rated it:
A good, short read with a mixture of hilarious, desperate and odd personal ads. How many of them were serious and how many are just people just trying to be funny or clever is debatable but its entertianing never the less. One of my favourites is:
"There's enough Lithium in my medicine cabinet to power three electric cars across a sizable desert. I'm more than aware that this isn't actually a selling point, but none the less it's my favourite statistic about me. Man, 33 - officiall More...
"There's enough Lithium in my medicine cabinet to power three electric cars across a sizable desert. I'm more than aware that this isn't actually a selling point, but none the less it's my favourite statistic about me. Man, 33 - officiall More...
Feb 26, 2008
Melanie
rated it:
Did you know that things can be "[adjective] as teeth"? Such as "cute as teeth" or "queer as teeth"? This is news to me!
Some excerpts from my favorite ads:
"When you do that voodoo that you do so well, I invoke 16th-century witchcraft laws and have you burned at the stake."
"Eager-to-please woman (36) seeks domineering man to take advantage of her flagging confidence. Tell me I'm pretty, then watch me cling." More...
Some excerpts from my favorite ads:
"When you do that voodoo that you do so well, I invoke 16th-century witchcraft laws and have you burned at the stake."
"Eager-to-please woman (36) seeks domineering man to take advantage of her flagging confidence. Tell me I'm pretty, then watch me cling." More...
Feb 05, 2010
Nette
rated it:
Personal ads from the London Review of Books written by witty, depressed and extremely odd Brits; about 80% of them seem to be cross-dressing history lecturers with severe mother issues. The perfect nightstand book, except that it's impossible to stop reading and go to sleep. I also loved the new sequel, "Sexually, I'm More of Switzerland."
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Mar 02, 2010
Russell
rated it:
Hilarious, absurd, quirky... I'm really looking forward to the second volume of this quick read. One of my favorite ads:
"In a certain light I look like Robert Mitchum. In a certain light you look like Kim Novak. More usually I look like Shrek. More usually you still look like Kim Novak. Yes, you're very unlucky. Now pass me the Doritos and get over it."
"In a certain light I look like Robert Mitchum. In a certain light you look like Kim Novak. More usually I look like Shrek. More usually you still look like Kim Novak. Yes, you're very unlucky. Now pass me the Doritos and get over it."
Feb 22, 2010
Unwisely
rated it:
I'm not sure what I expected this to be, but it was just bare personal ads. Somehow I thought there would be more context - interviews with people, or stories of people who met that way. But, no.
There were some annotations, but they were clearly not aimed at me - for example they explained what Doritos were but left some (primarily British, I think) things obscure.
It would have been fun to read these to someone else, but as a book to pick up and read? It was sort of More...
There were some annotations, but they were clearly not aimed at me - for example they explained what Doritos were but left some (primarily British, I think) things obscure.
It would have been fun to read these to someone else, but as a book to pick up and read? It was sort of More...
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Nov 30, 2008
Lisa
rated it:
I have a few fetishes for what I love to read or learn about. Personal ads are one of them. This book is not merely a collection of run of the mill or kinky personal ads, but a collection of "intellectual" ads from a British literary magazine. While enjoyable, it is what it is: a collection of short ads. If you don't find things of that nature terribly enjoying, this isn't for you-- it drags easily, even for people who enjoy it.
Dec 26, 2009
Khaya
rated it:
I'm a book of a lot of clever personal ads, many of which are laugh-out-loud funny. Hard to read in one sitting, but excellent for keeping in the bathroom. I also contain a timeline of Evel Knievel's exploits, spectacular failures in particular. I don't know why. Box no. 26.
Feb 20, 2011
Erin
rated it:
My aunt highly recommended this book if you are someone seeking laughter. Some of her favorites included "“Blah, blah, whatever. Indifferent woman. Go ahead and write. Box no. 3253. Like I care.” and "I’d like to dedicate this advert to my mother (difficult cow, 65) who is responsible for me still being single at 36. Man. 36. Single. Held at home by years of subtle emotional abuse and at least 19 fake heart attacks. "
Even though I love my aunt and value her opinion, I More...
Even though I love my aunt and value her opinion, I More...
Jun 22, 2010
Annie
rated it:
Seriously...what is not to like about this book!
I hunted around town for it when it first came out.
I still read them online!
I might not understand half of them, or the English slang..but in my books, its a thumbs up!
I hunted around town for it when it first came out.
I still read them online!
I might not understand half of them, or the English slang..but in my books, its a thumbs up!
Sep 17, 2009
Elision
rated it:
Simultaneously hilarious and depressing. I laughed a lot. Couldn't put the thing down in fact, but in the end I felt melancholy, like love is futile, and humans will always be lonely. Push and pull, all smiles and boohoo's.
Sep 11, 2009
Grace
rated it:
A compilation of some of the more amusing and insightful personal ads in the London Review of Books. My favourite opening line: "Gay, wasted Cambridge dandy"... it just inspires a desire to meet this Wildean character!
Dec 30, 2009
Kaylee
rated it:
A quick and entertaining Christmas Day read for myself and my boyfriend (thanks, Mom and Dad). I found the footnotes to be as humourous as many of the ads themselves -- ex: "Doritos - corn crisp snacks".
Mar 21, 2010
Liz
rated it:
Currently reading this with my husband. I think these people posted these adds to show how quirky they can sound. He thinks they're really personal ads. BTW, we met through a persona ad that I placed.
Aug 31, 2009
Ian
rated it:
I can't in good conscience give it more than three stars; this is pretty much the definition of a trifle. But it's a hell of a lot of fun - makes me wish I read the LRB personals on a regular basis.
Aug 03, 2009
Bella
rated it:
I thought this book was a hilarious read. It can be a little much at times, but if you're looking for something to pass the time before another book, this would be the one to choose.
Feb 13, 2011
Christina
rated it:
Hilarious! Here's my full review for The Blue Bookcase: http://thebluebookcase.blogspot.com/2011...
Mar 01, 2009
Nina
rated it:
You: a small book of overly literate personal ads, absolutely hilarious in their sheer dryness (titular example: "They call me naughty Lola. Typical beardy physicist.) My friends love you and want us to stay together always. All those that glance at you are overcome with appreciative laughter; you're popular, and good-looking to boot.
Me: impressed.
Me: impressed.
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Oct 08, 2009
S
rated it:
I found this highly entertaining... sometimes I was charmed by the wit and that's good cause I imagine every person to look like those guys from Little Britain.
