10 days : The Cliffs Notes

By SHANI ALSTON

“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don’ts of Dating”

By Michele…

“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don’ts of Dating”

By Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long

Bantam Books

1998

One surprising fact about the movie “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” is that it is based on a book with the same name. While a movie can only be seen in the theater two hours at a time, a book is a constant and handy reference. This book will guide every potential girlfriend through the blissful beginning to the bitter breakup at the end of the 10-day period. It’s complete with stick-figure illustrations on every page, so each important tip cannot be missed.

How fast does a 10-day relationship move anyway? Well, by day two, the book suggests obsessively calling his house, hanging out with the new boyfriend while someone takes candid photos, and don’t forget to ask him if you’ve gotten fat since you’ve been dating. If you feel it’s time, you can tell the new boyfriend that you love him over the telephone.

Of course, the book isn’t serious. Days one through five are jam-packed with suggestions, while days six through 10 are shorter reads, presumably because it’s close to the end. The drawings really pull off the book. Although stick figures are hardly Picasso or even college art class, they are funny and do the job nicely.

So girls, if that special guy in your life is always running away after 10 days and you have no idea why, maybe this book will give you a few ideas on what you’re doing wrong. If not, check it out anyway, because it’s really fun to laugh at the idiotic things a woman will do for a man.