Gentlemen Prefer Blondes — a tale of two flappers on the prowl for sugar daddies bearing diamonds — was a runaway bestseller, translated into multiple languages, made into a stage play and a silent film, now lost. Here, for instance, is Lorelei’s description of one of her many suitors, a reformer named Mr. Spoffard. So Mr. Spoffard really must have very very strong morals or else all the things that spoil other peoples morals would spoil his morals. So I told him that I never really dream about anything. Edith Wharton, who was another famous fan of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, declared that it was “the great American novel.” I wouldn’t go that far.