Though little known today, the book was a literary sensation at the beginning of the 20th century. Spirited debate and lawsuits followed its publication. By the end of the Twenties, it had sold more than 1,200,000 copies - ranking it among the bestselling books of its time. Was it - as many believed - the real-life diary of a young woman forced by circumstance into a life of prostitution? Or a sensational and clever fake, one of the first novels of its kind? This contested work - a work of unusual historical significance as well as literary sophistication - inspired a sequel, a play, a parody, a score of imitators, and two silent films. The best remembered of these is the often revived G.W. Pabst film starring Louise Brooks. This new edition of the original English language translation brings this important book back into print after more than 100 years. It includes an introduction by Thomas Gladysz, Director of the Louise Brooks Society, detailing the book's history and relationship to the 1929 film. This special "Louise Brooks Edition" also includes more than three dozen vintage illustrations.