The Happy Hooker

The Happy Hooker: My Own Story
AuthorXaviera Hollander
GenreMemoir
Publication date
1971
ISBN0-06-001416-4

The Happy Hooker: My Own Story[1] is a best-selling memoir by Xaviera Hollander, a call girl, published in 1971.[2][3] It sold over 20 million[4] copies. Robin Moore, who took Hollander's dictations of the book's contents, came up with the title, while Yvonne Dunleavy ghostwrote it.[5][6] In an interview published in 2019, Hollander said Dunleavy "was the one who wrote the book. They taped me, simply asking questions about my life and had the chapters spewed out in about three months. She wrote it, he edited it. He tried in vain to write a chapter, it was a piece of shit".[7]

Adaptations

Hollander's book inspired a series of movies, starting with The Happy Hooker (1975), which starred Lynn Redgrave.[8] The film was followed by two sequels: The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington (1977)[9] and The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood (1980).[10] In the sequels the role of Hollander was played by Joey Heatherton and Martine Beswick respectively.[8]

References

  1. ^ Hollander, Xaviera (1971). The Happy Hooker: My Own Story. Sphere Books. ISBN 0-06-001416-4.
  2. ^ "The Happy Hooker on being happy ever after". independent. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  3. ^ "As a sex worker I wanted to write a novel that shows the truth about prostitution". inews.co.uk. 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  4. ^ The Philadelphia Inquirer on The Happy Hooker: "He said he found it fascinating that her book, which has sold 20 million copies to date, is still being picked up today". (26 June 2008)
  5. ^ John Cassidy, "The hell-raiser", Sydney Morning Herald, 9 December 2000, Good Weekend, p. 80
  6. ^ "'Happy Hooker' Gives her take on Feminism, Sexuality". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-07-22.
  7. ^ Bindel, Julie (2019). The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 39. ISBN 978-1349959471.
  8. ^ a b "The Happy Hooker Details". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-03-31.
  9. ^ "THE HAPPY HOOKER GOES TO WASHINGTON | British Board of Film Classification". www.bbfc.co.uk. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  10. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:..The Happy Hooker Goes to Hollywood