“Dork Whore” a raunchy, yet clever read

There I was, in O’Hare airport waiting for my 15 hour flight to China. What the hell am I going to read? I questioned, remembering all too well that I can never fall asleep on airplanes. My eyes perused the thin, sparsely stocked shelves of the tiny airport bookstand. Imagine my surprise (and glee) when my eyes fell on the bold black title: “Dork Whore“. I bought the book, and read it. And (pardon my language) it’s darn funny.

Iris Bahr, the author of the book, pulls no punches. Within the first few pages she has already clearly laid out her plan to clue us all in on her quest to lose her virginity. A short and fiery veteran of the Israeli army, twenty-one-year old Bahr recounts a backpacking trip through Asia. Her one and only mission on the trip: to let some man boldly go where no man had gone before… if you know what I mean.

The trip begins in Thailand, where Iris quickly falls for an English man-whore named Johnny. The tension builds as the two explore the thick Thai country side and share some romantic opium trips. Upon returning to visit some Thai cities, Iris decides to make her move. Creeping romantically toward Johnny’s apartment bedroom, the anticipation disappears as Johnny audibly reveals that he is, uh, “occupied” with someone else. Bummer.

The trip moves on to Vietnam, where Bahr likes to point out that “the official currency of Vietnam is the dong. That’s right, the money is named after cock.” (It was here that I suspected that something might not be quite right with Ms. Bahr. Later my suspicions were confirmed when I learned that she starred in the movie Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector (but don’t hold that against the book, it’s really worth the read (sorry about all the parentheses))).

I don’t want to ruin anymore of this hilarious book for you. Like how worms throw a wrench into Bahr’s sexual plans in Vietnam (not literally). Or how she comes between two Nepalese best friends (also not literally). This racy book will keep your attention, make you laugh, and force you to finish it quickly.

Part of the reason why I would recommend this book is that there’s just something liberating about reading unabashedly gross and perverse sentences in the midst of awkwardly funny situations. In its own way, the book is clever and witty. So, if you like clever, witty toilet humor, this is the book for you. If you’re faint of heart or have strong objections to reading about someone else’s moral episodes, then just admire the funny cover. Either way, “Dork Whore” is a solid piece of autobiographical humor.

Official Thorn Rating: 3 elephants