Francesca Beauman’s new book, a thoroughly original history of lonely hearts adverts, is elegant, witty, wise and utterly delightful. It offers hours of NSA adult fun, and most definitely has a GSOH.

The first ad of which we have evidence appeared in 1695, in a pamphlet published at the Golden Fleece on the corner of Gracechurch Street and Eastcheap. Among the offers of an Arabian stallion and a second-hand bed, there was also a gentleman of thirty years of age looking for ‘a young Gentlewoman that has a fortune of 3000l.’ Multiply this by at least 100, perhaps 1,000, and you can see this young man had ambition.

Feb 2011

Not Much Comfort

Night Plunderers & River Pilferers

Heretic in the Pulpit

What the Doctor Ordered

Joyful Logorrhoea

Serving up a Treat

Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Cet Homme?

Turning Up One’s Nose

Fifty Shades of Success

Kiss Kiss

Modern Manhood

Culture Clash

Existence of an Exile

Grim OOP North

Horribly Sane

The Caribbean Queen

The Joylessness of Self

Savage Life

The Order of the Good Death

The Old, Nowadays- They’re All the Same

Insights on Indexing

Heart And Seoul

Something Rotten in the Borough of Camden

Drink With The Joneses

Talking Statues

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