A fun collection of vintage personal ads. Who knew they were that specific! A fun collection of vintage personal ads. Who knew they were that specific! I read this on a short plane trip and it was entertaining. From the gentleman who insisted his match must have the stamp that was missing from his stamp collection, to the ladies who seemed to be looking for a well-endowed mate, they certainly knew what they wanted! ( )

I've really enjoyed this little book. It is a retelling of personal ads going back to the 1700's. The ones I liked best, of course, were the ones that had more than the ad, and included the results. One unlucky young man was embarrassed by a crazy woman. Fortunately, he found out before any real problems happened. It is also interesting how many ask for beauty and/or money. And I laughed at the young woman who wanted to be a old man's darling rather than a young man's pet. It has items that would be fun to share. Fun book. ( )

good really good ( )

The Lonely Hearts of Yesterday: Love & Mischief in 19th Century Personal Ads
LAURA SCHAEFER

This book of 19th and early 20th century matrimonial advertisements--along with newspaper stories about romantic advertising adventures gone awry--will lighten your mood and reveal the unchanging optimism of men and women searching for love. The collection is organized by year, with ads from 1775 to 1918.

"The gentleman is in the prime of life, and enjoying excellent health, speaks several foreign languages, and is otherwise highly talented."

This book kept me entertained all the way through. The personal ads were all very different styles, some writers almost poetic while others may well have been enquiring if anyone had a robust bull they wished to part with. I liked that the book was set out in time line order, the differences in the writing so evident between the first and last pages. This collection would be amusing for anyone with an interest in historical romances, and we had a lot of laughs in the nursing home where I work with the residents speculating about the stories begind the short snippets of information. ( )