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Valley of the Dolls
Dolls: red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight-for Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three women become best friends when they are young and struggling in New York City and then climb to the top of the entertainment industry-only to find that there is no place left to go but down-into the Valley of the Dolls.
Hardcover
First published February 1, 1966
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137863 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Susann
25 books705 followersJacqueline Susann was one of the most successful writers in the history of American publishing. Her first novel, Valley of the Dolls, published in 1966, is one of the best-selling books of all time. When The Love Machine was published in 1969, it too became an immediate #1 bestseller and held that position for five months. When Once is Not Enough was published in 1973, it also moved to the top of the best-seller list and established Jackie as the first novelist in history to have three consecutive #1 books on The New York Times Best Seller list. She was a superstar, and became America's first brand-name author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,906 reviews
December 4, 2013
If you haven't read this book, I suggest you quit dicking around on the internet and do absolutely whatever it takes to snag yourself a copy this instant. Granted it's probably not for everyone, but I gotta tell you, this is seriously among THE MOST VASTLY ENTERTAINING books I have ever read in my life.
Imagine you are lying in a silk-sheeted waterbed next to a vast swimming pool, smoking a ridiculously long cigarette, wearing an Italian bikini and extremely large, expensive hat, and you've just gotten the most gorgeous pedicure ever administered in human history. You've done about sixteen lines of coke and have popped a few jars of quaaludes, and a leathery, bronzed older gentleman with silvery hairs all over his chest and a visible tan line where his wedding ring usually sits is alternately giving you backrubs, lavishing you with glittering jewelry, and skillfully providing immense oral pleasure. While all this is going on, you are thinking about how fat and old you've been getting, sipping from a decanter of single-malt scotch, and eating slice after slice of the most magnificent chocolate cake that has ever been baked. The cake is delicious, the drugs are great, the cunnilingus is stellar, and it's all totally worth the terrible sacrifices you've made to arrive here today, despite the fact that you are clearly about to vomit yet again into the enormous pool.
If you are one of the many unfortunate shlumps who will never become a celebrity, reading this incredible work of American literature is the closest you'll probably ever get to this kind of experience. Please do not think that because you have seen the movie, you understand what _The Valley of the Dolls_ is all about. You do not! I love this book. I really, really, honestly, truly, totally do. And I hope you do, too!
Imagine you are lying in a silk-sheeted waterbed next to a vast swimming pool, smoking a ridiculously long cigarette, wearing an Italian bikini and extremely large, expensive hat, and you've just gotten the most gorgeous pedicure ever administered in human history. You've done about sixteen lines of coke and have popped a few jars of quaaludes, and a leathery, bronzed older gentleman with silvery hairs all over his chest and a visible tan line where his wedding ring usually sits is alternately giving you backrubs, lavishing you with glittering jewelry, and skillfully providing immense oral pleasure. While all this is going on, you are thinking about how fat and old you've been getting, sipping from a decanter of single-malt scotch, and eating slice after slice of the most magnificent chocolate cake that has ever been baked. The cake is delicious, the drugs are great, the cunnilingus is stellar, and it's all totally worth the terrible sacrifices you've made to arrive here today, despite the fact that you are clearly about to vomit yet again into the enormous pool.
If you are one of the many unfortunate shlumps who will never become a celebrity, reading this incredible work of American literature is the closest you'll probably ever get to this kind of experience. Please do not think that because you have seen the movie, you understand what _The Valley of the Dolls_ is all about. You do not! I love this book. I really, really, honestly, truly, totally do. And I hope you do, too!
May 18, 2014
I bought a copy for 10p at the Oxfam shop. I returned to my space age bachelor pad, switched on my lava lamp, reclined on my La-Z-Boy (late 1970s Magic Fingers model), mixed a bright puce cocktail made out of three parts flamingos and ten parts vermouth with amusing parasols stuffed in the tall tall glass, then I threw on that cd where some genius put modern beats to Gregorian chants, and with my ultramarine-dyed and topiaried poodle named Gregoire gazing raptly up at me I read up to page 100 and stopped.
Hmm, I thought, this damn book really is the Encyclopedia of Show Biz Cliches, and the Bible of Looksism (if you ain't got looks, you ism worth bothering about). I set down Valley of the Dolls and hopped off the La-Z-Boy. I waded through the knee-deep shagpile to my phone - amusingly I still only use landlines. I flipped through my Little Black Book. Elizabeth? No, not tonight. Jasmine? Hmmm.... could be. Cassandra? Leona? Bethany?
In the end I called them all and they all came round and at three in the morning I died of pure pleasure. This is my ghost typing these words. I'm happy to report to all you bachelors out there that there are bikinis after death, and Lambourghinis, in case you were worrying about that.
I never finished that damn book when I was there on Planet Earth. I figured life was too short for Valley of the Dolls. Now I think death is too.
Hmm, I thought, this damn book really is the Encyclopedia of Show Biz Cliches, and the Bible of Looksism (if you ain't got looks, you ism worth bothering about). I set down Valley of the Dolls and hopped off the La-Z-Boy. I waded through the knee-deep shagpile to my phone - amusingly I still only use landlines. I flipped through my Little Black Book. Elizabeth? No, not tonight. Jasmine? Hmmm.... could be. Cassandra? Leona? Bethany?
In the end I called them all and they all came round and at three in the morning I died of pure pleasure. This is my ghost typing these words. I'm happy to report to all you bachelors out there that there are bikinis after death, and Lambourghinis, in case you were worrying about that.
I never finished that damn book when I was there on Planet Earth. I figured life was too short for Valley of the Dolls. Now I think death is too.
August 5, 2019
Wow, WHAT a read! I can definitely see why this novel has been hailed an all-time pop culture classic! I loved absolutely every minute of this book and I wish I could find more contemporary novels with the vim, wit, and insight that this book offered! This will always have a place on my shelf and will always be one of my all-time favorites! (Funny how my all-time favs this year have been classics rather than contemporaries, eh?) I highly recommend this book to all women, particularly those "coming of age" in their 20s-30s. You'll find something to love, empathize with and root for in all of these women!
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Want to read
July 12, 2023"cult classic" is the best thing any book can be
April 25, 2012
Or How To Write An American Classic
This is going to sound crazy, but hear me out: The Valley of the Dolls is totally like The Great Gatsby.
One is a culturally-important, best-selling, drug-fueled, homoerotic classic with several unfortunate movie adaptations; the other is well, a culturally-important, best-selling, drug-fueled, homoerotic classic with this gem in it:
"Give me back my hair, you little bitch," Helen yelled. "It cost me three hundred bucks!"... "Hey--what the hell are you doing?" Helen screamed. She turned to Anne. "Jesus, she's throwing in the can, I bet. I'll kill her, that little bitch!"
Actually there a lot of other parallels: the themes of reinvention through false identities, focuses on the American dream of success (note that it's becoming a stinking rich capitalist for men and a famous actress/model for women), and plots that hinge on characters doing stupid shit because of LOVE.
But the similarity that really jumped out at me was how both novels exploit our obsession with wealth (and fame) by luxuriating in its excesses, and then reassure us about our lack of these things by depicting its wealthy (and famous) main characters as incredibly miserable and/or terrible people.
Hey don't be fooled by the persona. I may spend some of my free time reading and deeply thinking about important literature, but people who know me also know I am a habitual online reader of celebrity gossip. It probably speaks to some weird primal impulse to raise individuals to mythic proportions and then tear them down, but also, more relevantly to this discussion, a manifestation of the rather schizophrenic cultural attitudes that define "success". If we really think "success" should be moral and material, why do we think they are contradictory?
Hell if I know. And if any book offered the answers, perhaps novels that followed this narrative arc and purpose would be less compelling. Until that day though, it's a winning premise, and I will probably never stop reading celebrity gossip pages, no matter how much I know on an intellectual level that the "information" they dispense is totally a)false, b)trivial, and c)ethically deplorable.
Does this make The Valley of the Dolls a good book? Heck no. Each of the three main characters we follow hardly has two characteristics to rub together: Anne is a frigid New Englander, Neely is talented and needy, Jennifer is beautiful and… untalented. For all it’s supposedly about their personal success, really it’s all about them defining themselves solely through their men—a mistake made by Susann as much as the characters, as she quickly scuttles the interesting backstage-show-business angle to squeeze in more torrid sex/love affairs. This obsession with the men in their lives is all the more baffling for how none of the male characters barely even has one characteristic, let alone any attractive ones. Susann's pacing is all over the place, she appears to lose interest in Jennifer at some point, and her idea of what is shocking is actually mostly campy, sometimes to the point of hilarity . On the plus side, this makes The Valley of the Dolls a mostly painless read, one that I finished fairly quickly and which left me enough brain cells free to come up with the idea that it's totally like The Great Gatsby. Rating: 1.5 stars
To summarize:
1. Money. Think Cribs aka taste, what taste? There's nothing luxurious about a stock portfolio.
2. Sex. Preferably the good kind. Only literary critics like sad, bad sex.
3. Drugs. Obviously catered to the time period/setting.
4. Punish characters for getting the money, sex, and drugs. Because we are hypocrites.
5. Sprinkle in some homoerotism. Only for the flavor or the titillation, don't be doing any real treatment on the topic, it will doom the novel to the "genre" ghetto.
6. Don't forget the tragic ending. At least one character should die via suicide.
7. Don't bother coming up with complex motivations for when you need your characters to do stupid, destructive shit: just pin it on love.
8. "Women be bitches" OR "Men be assholes". But remember, similarly to #5: if you make a male-viewpoint novel, it will be hailed as literature for everyone; if you make it a female-viewpoint novel, it will be branded for the "women's literature".
This is going to sound crazy, but hear me out: The Valley of the Dolls is totally like The Great Gatsby.
One is a culturally-important, best-selling, drug-fueled, homoerotic classic with several unfortunate movie adaptations; the other is well, a culturally-important, best-selling, drug-fueled, homoerotic classic with this gem in it:
"Give me back my hair, you little bitch," Helen yelled. "It cost me three hundred bucks!"... "Hey--what the hell are you doing?" Helen screamed. She turned to Anne. "Jesus, she's throwing in the can, I bet. I'll kill her, that little bitch!"
Actually there a lot of other parallels: the themes of reinvention through false identities, focuses on the American dream of success (note that it's becoming a stinking rich capitalist for men and a famous actress/model for women), and plots that hinge on characters doing stupid shit because of LOVE.
But the similarity that really jumped out at me was how both novels exploit our obsession with wealth (and fame) by luxuriating in its excesses, and then reassure us about our lack of these things by depicting its wealthy (and famous) main characters as incredibly miserable and/or terrible people.
Hey don't be fooled by the persona. I may spend some of my free time reading and deeply thinking about important literature, but people who know me also know I am a habitual online reader of celebrity gossip. It probably speaks to some weird primal impulse to raise individuals to mythic proportions and then tear them down, but also, more relevantly to this discussion, a manifestation of the rather schizophrenic cultural attitudes that define "success". If we really think "success" should be moral and material, why do we think they are contradictory?
Hell if I know. And if any book offered the answers, perhaps novels that followed this narrative arc and purpose would be less compelling. Until that day though, it's a winning premise, and I will probably never stop reading celebrity gossip pages, no matter how much I know on an intellectual level that the "information" they dispense is totally a)false, b)trivial, and c)ethically deplorable.
Does this make The Valley of the Dolls a good book? Heck no. Each of the three main characters we follow hardly has two characteristics to rub together: Anne is a frigid New Englander, Neely is talented and needy, Jennifer is beautiful and… untalented. For all it’s supposedly about their personal success, really it’s all about them defining themselves solely through their men—a mistake made by Susann as much as the characters, as she quickly scuttles the interesting backstage-show-business angle to squeeze in more torrid sex/love affairs. This obsession with the men in their lives is all the more baffling for how none of the male characters barely even has one characteristic, let alone any attractive ones. Susann's pacing is all over the place, she appears to lose interest in Jennifer at some point, and her idea of what is shocking is actually mostly campy, sometimes to the point of hilarity . On the plus side, this makes The Valley of the Dolls a mostly painless read, one that I finished fairly quickly and which left me enough brain cells free to come up with the idea that it's totally like The Great Gatsby. Rating: 1.5 stars
To summarize:
1. Money. Think Cribs aka taste, what taste? There's nothing luxurious about a stock portfolio.
2. Sex. Preferably the good kind. Only literary critics like sad, bad sex.
3. Drugs. Obviously catered to the time period/setting.
4. Punish characters for getting the money, sex, and drugs. Because we are hypocrites.
5. Sprinkle in some homoerotism. Only for the flavor or the titillation, don't be doing any real treatment on the topic, it will doom the novel to the "genre" ghetto.
6. Don't forget the tragic ending. At least one character should die via suicide.
7. Don't bother coming up with complex motivations for when you need your characters to do stupid, destructive shit: just pin it on love.
8. "Women be bitches" OR "Men be assholes". But remember, similarly to #5: if you make a male-viewpoint novel, it will be hailed as literature for everyone; if you make it a female-viewpoint novel, it will be branded for the "women's literature".
August 25, 2008
This book is BAD! Which is why I love it so much. Susann had no idea how to write a book.
Susann's shallowness and immaturity (you get the impression a 14-year-old wrote this) is rampant throughout the book. No one has real feelings. People get married as business contracts. All men cheat; women never do. Blonds are icy and cold. Brunettes are smart and nurturing, and only women with glossy blue-black hair are sexy and passionate (Susann's hair was black).
Her pacing in the book is just wacky. One of the main characters disappears after the first few chapters, then reappears toward the end just to kill herself. Her reason: she had to have a mastectomy and her husband only married her for her breasts. And then everyone else is sad for about a half page, then they get on with their tragic lives.
The greatest line from the movie actually comes straight out of the book. Neeley chides her nemesis, aging star Helen Lawson, by saying "I saw that fag you came in with." To which Lawson replies "At least I didn't marry one." And then the famous cat fight ensues.
It is a horrible book, and if you love the movie, you will see that the film makers were actually trying to transend their source material. If I ever taught a writing class, this book would be on the reading list. Because if this piece of crap can get published, and then go on to sell over 30 million copies to date, anything can. And that should give a young writer some hope.
Susann's shallowness and immaturity (you get the impression a 14-year-old wrote this) is rampant throughout the book. No one has real feelings. People get married as business contracts. All men cheat; women never do. Blonds are icy and cold. Brunettes are smart and nurturing, and only women with glossy blue-black hair are sexy and passionate (Susann's hair was black).
Her pacing in the book is just wacky. One of the main characters disappears after the first few chapters, then reappears toward the end just to kill herself. Her reason: she had to have a mastectomy and her husband only married her for her breasts. And then everyone else is sad for about a half page, then they get on with their tragic lives.
The greatest line from the movie actually comes straight out of the book. Neeley chides her nemesis, aging star Helen Lawson, by saying "I saw that fag you came in with." To which Lawson replies "At least I didn't marry one." And then the famous cat fight ensues.
It is a horrible book, and if you love the movie, you will see that the film makers were actually trying to transend their source material. If I ever taught a writing class, this book would be on the reading list. Because if this piece of crap can get published, and then go on to sell over 30 million copies to date, anything can. And that should give a young writer some hope.
January 11, 2019
A compulsively addictive book! I can see how this book made a stir when it first hit the shelves back in 1966 and became an instant classic. The women, the men are all horrible humans but that’s what makes this book such a blast to read! It’s the old story of rags to riches and then it all goes pear shape. Fame and fortune does not equal happiness, the catty and the selfish nature of the industry is shown through the vile and hedonistic characters. The booze, the pills are not enough to give meaning to the empty adulation these girls receive and things turn sour quickly. The second half of the book is gripping, although it’s all pretty depressing stuff actually. As awful as the characters and the book turn out to be it was a complete insane trip that kept me glued to the pages. For that it gets the full 5 stars for pure entertainment.
September 4, 2016
The dude who checks books out to me at my library gave an arched eyebrow and a curled lip at me when I checked this masterpiece out. I promptly flipped the book over with a satisfying *whomp* and pointed out: "Uh, it's put out by Grove Press, ever heard of them?!"
Sheesh, the philistines I have to deal with daily! Just makes ya need somethin' to relax with: say, a handful of benzodiazepines, a mug of ice cream and The Captain, the latest issue of The Baffler, and some Esquivel on the Hi-Fi.
Ahh, that's better.
Life is too short to worry about people who fail to recognize the massive importance of this literary touchstone. Hey, ya gonna pass me that? It ain't incense!
Sheesh, the philistines I have to deal with daily! Just makes ya need somethin' to relax with: say, a handful of benzodiazepines, a mug of ice cream and The Captain, the latest issue of The Baffler, and some Esquivel on the Hi-Fi.
Ahh, that's better.
Life is too short to worry about people who fail to recognize the massive importance of this literary touchstone. Hey, ya gonna pass me that? It ain't incense!
June 29, 2024
★4.5 stars
What are words even, speech has left my body!!
I’ll try to keep this review ˗ˏˋ short and sweet ˎˊ˗ bc I think going into this book blind is the way to truly experience it. It’s a cult classic for a reason, and omg if they had made this a required read back in high school I might have actually enjoyed forced reading back then! (Who am I kidding this is much too risqué for adolescent minds lmao)
Valley of the Dolls details the tumultuous rise and fall of three complex women in the entertainment industry from approx 1945-1965. From the men who used and abused them, to the precious dolls that kept them going 💊, this story is one that will make your blood boil like no other. These female characters may be unlikeable and unhinged but fuck did they have me equal parts rooting for and booing them at the same time. Men are trash and drugs are bad ppl!
.5 docked purely for the first and last chapters. WOOF I am not a long chapter person. 200+ pages for that first one 🫠 BUT I will say it kept me engaged the entire time, rapidly flipping through pages to see what each character would do next.
💖 A HUGE shoutout to the loml Ali for putting this on my radar, and sticking with me for months as I continuously put this off. My girl might know me better than I know myself!! Any rec she gives me delivers hands down. (Ali's Review) And now my body is so ready for this movie, I just know it’ll be as iconic as the book!!!
^^^I cannot WAIT to see this scene it is wild!!!!!
* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜*
Pre-review:
ALI DO YOU SEE ME???
Happy Monday my lovelies! 💕 Been putting this one off for so long don’t ask me why!!! 🫣 Libby coming through right when I’m finally in the mental headspace for this ✨CLASSIC✨ bring it on!!
What are words even, speech has left my body!!
I’ll try to keep this review ˗ˏˋ short and sweet ˎˊ˗ bc I think going into this book blind is the way to truly experience it. It’s a cult classic for a reason, and omg if they had made this a required read back in high school I might have actually enjoyed forced reading back then! (Who am I kidding this is much too risqué for adolescent minds lmao)
Valley of the Dolls details the tumultuous rise and fall of three complex women in the entertainment industry from approx 1945-1965. From the men who used and abused them, to the precious dolls that kept them going 💊, this story is one that will make your blood boil like no other. These female characters may be unlikeable and unhinged but fuck did they have me equal parts rooting for and booing them at the same time. Men are trash and drugs are bad ppl!
.5 docked purely for the first and last chapters. WOOF I am not a long chapter person. 200+ pages for that first one 🫠 BUT I will say it kept me engaged the entire time, rapidly flipping through pages to see what each character would do next.
💖 A HUGE shoutout to the loml Ali for putting this on my radar, and sticking with me for months as I continuously put this off. My girl might know me better than I know myself!! Any rec she gives me delivers hands down. (Ali's Review) And now my body is so ready for this movie, I just know it’ll be as iconic as the book!!!
^^^I cannot WAIT to see this scene it is wild!!!!!
⋆₊⊹⁀➴ Content Warnings: This book was written in the 60s, and as such, there is language that is absolutely not okay by today’s standards. Ali said it best that this is a product of its time, just a lil reminder!
* ゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜*
Pre-review:
ALI DO YOU SEE ME???
Happy Monday my lovelies! 💕 Been putting this one off for so long don’t ask me why!!! 🫣 Libby coming through right when I’m finally in the mental headspace for this ✨CLASSIC✨ bring it on!!
November 21, 2015
Some novels have baggage. Valley of the Dolls, Jacqueline Susann's 1966 bestseller, arrived like a Lear jet rolling into Aspen and unloading a cargo hold full of contraband. This rags to riches tale chronicling the show business rise and fall of three women features nightlife, penthouses, virgins, abortion, drug overdoses, a fight in the ladies' room and the search for love, all doled out in the most mundane language possible. Contrary to my expectations, I ate it up.
Unfolding over twenty years beginning September 1945, the story begins with Anne Welles arriving in New York City. Twenty years old, a Radcliffe grad with a degree in English, Anne is as fresh off the turnip truck as a girl can get. Born and raised in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Anne has fled simple existence in a small town to make it in the Big Apple. Her beauty and wholesomeness make an impression on the sage and paternal Harry Bellamy, a theatrical attorney interviewing for a new secretary. He hires the turnip.
Anne finds a brownstone and befriends a seventeen year old named Ethel Agnes O'Neill (Neely) who lives across the hall. Neely is so exuberant that Anne finds it difficult to believe her neighbor is a vaudevillian, seeking her break in show biz. A true talent, Neely hopes Anne might be able to pull some strings with her new employers. These include a stunningly handsome entertainment attorney named Lyon Burke who returns to the firm after serving his country for four years in England.
While Anne is given the mission of finding Lyon an apartment, she's courted by an insurance salesman she meets at the office named Allen Cooper. Her friendship with Allen lacks the magnetism of her's with Lyon, but Allen behaves as a gentleman and reveals a secret to Anne straight out of a storybook. Presented with the opportunity for financial security beyond her dreams, Anne refuses to be rushed into a decision. She focuses on work and on a new musical fronted by Harry's biggest client, the prima donna Helen Lawson.
When Helen selects Anne to be her new confidante, Anne is able to land Neely a role in the show. Stardom beckons and Neely changes her name to Neely O'Hara. Anne befriends another member of the cast, Jennifer North, a world class beauty with only modest singing or acting skills and whose age is in constant flux. Jennifer, an unassuming woman who's nice to Anne, becomes romantically involved with a crooner named Tony Polar. She is soon locked in a battle with Tony's stage managing sister, Miriam.
Anne is torn between marriage to Allen and her attraction to Lyon, who asks for nothing and promises nothing. Neely become a breakout star. She heads to Hollywood, bringing her new husband, a copywriter she quickly bores of. Jennifer outsmarts Miriam and corners Tony into a marriage, but moving to L.A. with them, is relegated to the role of Hollywood wife. To cope, Neely and Jennifer turn to "the dolls." Dexedrine to keep them up and lose weight, Seconal and Nembutal to help them sleep.
Right away, Valley of the Dolls subverted a few prejudices I had based on my knowledge of the 1967 film starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate and Susan Hayward. It's a postwar story taking place mostly in the late 1940s and '50s, not the swinging sixties. It's set in New York, hopping into and fleeing Hollywood almost as quickly as Alvy Singer does in Annie Hall. And in spite of some dramatics, the book is much more chaste than I expected.
In terms of debauchery, Susann falls somewhere between Judy Blume and Reefer Madness here. She was either unable or unwilling to binge the reader on sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, so instead of concocting more wild plot twists or manufacturing shock, she hooks us with characters resigned to their fate, questioning free will, seeking love. And they're so gosh darn innocent through it all that I wanted to pat them on the heads.
"Hey, God, are you really up there?" she said. "Are you a big white-haired man with a beard? Do you understand me? Tell me, what went wrong? I never asked for too much. Geez, all I wanted was an apartment and a guy to love me. I tried--why did you fuck it up all the time? Why in hell did you give me a voice if you didn't want me to be great? Why did you take it away?" She poured the last of the Scotch and dropped the bottle on the floor.
I could imagine a hip sixth grader telling Valley of the Dolls to her friends at a slumber party. The story might take hours to finish depending on how often the storyteller was interrupted to explain what a diaphragm was. The book not only reads like an instructional guide for what a junior high school student can expect from Life in the Big City, but Jacqueline Susann writes like a starry-eyed adolescent:
She left the square and walked down Fifth Avenue. It was getting late. She had to go home and change. Allen was picking her up. Allen! She couldn't marry Allen! That would be refuting everything she had said. That was really giving up! It was too early to compromise with even part of a dream.
The reason why the writing or lack of it ends up being a speed bump in my enjoyment of Valley of the Dolls is that what Susann lacks in language arts she compensates for with a foundation in sociology and psychology. She knows what makes people tick. In terms of political machination, the novel is a pure delight. Susann allows every character a dilemma of, "If I tell A to B, then C will follow, but if I tell him D, then I might get E." Then we get to see the sequence executed.
Even while I was laughing at how on the button the prose was, I was hooked on the story. I never considered abandoning it before finding out what happened to Anne, Neely and Jennifer. There's not much character development or sense of place, but Susann is credible when it comes to writing about show business. The writing is too childish for me to deem the book "sexy," but I agree with Nora Ephron's blurb that Susann is a natural storyteller and for a certain type of reader, like me, I guess, impossible to put down.
Unfolding over twenty years beginning September 1945, the story begins with Anne Welles arriving in New York City. Twenty years old, a Radcliffe grad with a degree in English, Anne is as fresh off the turnip truck as a girl can get. Born and raised in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Anne has fled simple existence in a small town to make it in the Big Apple. Her beauty and wholesomeness make an impression on the sage and paternal Harry Bellamy, a theatrical attorney interviewing for a new secretary. He hires the turnip.
Anne finds a brownstone and befriends a seventeen year old named Ethel Agnes O'Neill (Neely) who lives across the hall. Neely is so exuberant that Anne finds it difficult to believe her neighbor is a vaudevillian, seeking her break in show biz. A true talent, Neely hopes Anne might be able to pull some strings with her new employers. These include a stunningly handsome entertainment attorney named Lyon Burke who returns to the firm after serving his country for four years in England.
While Anne is given the mission of finding Lyon an apartment, she's courted by an insurance salesman she meets at the office named Allen Cooper. Her friendship with Allen lacks the magnetism of her's with Lyon, but Allen behaves as a gentleman and reveals a secret to Anne straight out of a storybook. Presented with the opportunity for financial security beyond her dreams, Anne refuses to be rushed into a decision. She focuses on work and on a new musical fronted by Harry's biggest client, the prima donna Helen Lawson.
When Helen selects Anne to be her new confidante, Anne is able to land Neely a role in the show. Stardom beckons and Neely changes her name to Neely O'Hara. Anne befriends another member of the cast, Jennifer North, a world class beauty with only modest singing or acting skills and whose age is in constant flux. Jennifer, an unassuming woman who's nice to Anne, becomes romantically involved with a crooner named Tony Polar. She is soon locked in a battle with Tony's stage managing sister, Miriam.
Anne is torn between marriage to Allen and her attraction to Lyon, who asks for nothing and promises nothing. Neely become a breakout star. She heads to Hollywood, bringing her new husband, a copywriter she quickly bores of. Jennifer outsmarts Miriam and corners Tony into a marriage, but moving to L.A. with them, is relegated to the role of Hollywood wife. To cope, Neely and Jennifer turn to "the dolls." Dexedrine to keep them up and lose weight, Seconal and Nembutal to help them sleep.
Right away, Valley of the Dolls subverted a few prejudices I had based on my knowledge of the 1967 film starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate and Susan Hayward. It's a postwar story taking place mostly in the late 1940s and '50s, not the swinging sixties. It's set in New York, hopping into and fleeing Hollywood almost as quickly as Alvy Singer does in Annie Hall. And in spite of some dramatics, the book is much more chaste than I expected.
In terms of debauchery, Susann falls somewhere between Judy Blume and Reefer Madness here. She was either unable or unwilling to binge the reader on sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, so instead of concocting more wild plot twists or manufacturing shock, she hooks us with characters resigned to their fate, questioning free will, seeking love. And they're so gosh darn innocent through it all that I wanted to pat them on the heads.
"Hey, God, are you really up there?" she said. "Are you a big white-haired man with a beard? Do you understand me? Tell me, what went wrong? I never asked for too much. Geez, all I wanted was an apartment and a guy to love me. I tried--why did you fuck it up all the time? Why in hell did you give me a voice if you didn't want me to be great? Why did you take it away?" She poured the last of the Scotch and dropped the bottle on the floor.
I could imagine a hip sixth grader telling Valley of the Dolls to her friends at a slumber party. The story might take hours to finish depending on how often the storyteller was interrupted to explain what a diaphragm was. The book not only reads like an instructional guide for what a junior high school student can expect from Life in the Big City, but Jacqueline Susann writes like a starry-eyed adolescent:
She left the square and walked down Fifth Avenue. It was getting late. She had to go home and change. Allen was picking her up. Allen! She couldn't marry Allen! That would be refuting everything she had said. That was really giving up! It was too early to compromise with even part of a dream.
The reason why the writing or lack of it ends up being a speed bump in my enjoyment of Valley of the Dolls is that what Susann lacks in language arts she compensates for with a foundation in sociology and psychology. She knows what makes people tick. In terms of political machination, the novel is a pure delight. Susann allows every character a dilemma of, "If I tell A to B, then C will follow, but if I tell him D, then I might get E." Then we get to see the sequence executed.
Even while I was laughing at how on the button the prose was, I was hooked on the story. I never considered abandoning it before finding out what happened to Anne, Neely and Jennifer. There's not much character development or sense of place, but Susann is credible when it comes to writing about show business. The writing is too childish for me to deem the book "sexy," but I agree with Nora Ephron's blurb that Susann is a natural storyteller and for a certain type of reader, like me, I guess, impossible to put down.
June 6, 2018
Read this back in the 70's. My teenage self thought it was so scandalous!!
October 19, 2012
A trashy treasure of a chick lit novel.
I'm so guilty..... For three things.
1. I liked how melodramatic this horrible written novel was.
2. I could feel my brain cells dwindling as I read it.
3. I stayed up for nights reading this book.
Errrr.........I'm very embarrassed but I'll give this a five, for enjoying it 100% percent , all the way to the sleazy cliche oversexed men to the dull cliche girls. I like it! Not for the literary stand -point of the novel because we all know there isn't any in this book. Just for a good time, this novel is like the boyfriend with the hot face who can't hold a conversation to save his life. I think that this might have been one of the most racy novels of the 60s, which is just a pure laugh! I felt myself giggling at the book. "Oh my gosh sex to get ahead , pretty faces and pills! - how taboo for it's time". I have a thing for "vintage" novels with female characters and I couldn't keep my hands off this novel when I saw it perched on the shelf. Hollywood secrets, actresses, catty women, perfumes and lipsticks - if that sounds interesting to you, I would advise you to check out this book.
I'm so guilty..... For three things.
1. I liked how melodramatic this horrible written novel was.
2. I could feel my brain cells dwindling as I read it.
3. I stayed up for nights reading this book.
Errrr.........I'm very embarrassed but I'll give this a five, for enjoying it 100% percent , all the way to the sleazy cliche oversexed men to the dull cliche girls. I like it! Not for the literary stand -point of the novel because we all know there isn't any in this book. Just for a good time, this novel is like the boyfriend with the hot face who can't hold a conversation to save his life. I think that this might have been one of the most racy novels of the 60s, which is just a pure laugh! I felt myself giggling at the book. "Oh my gosh sex to get ahead , pretty faces and pills! - how taboo for it's time". I have a thing for "vintage" novels with female characters and I couldn't keep my hands off this novel when I saw it perched on the shelf. Hollywood secrets, actresses, catty women, perfumes and lipsticks - if that sounds interesting to you, I would advise you to check out this book.
September 8, 2016
Starting this book was like going to the opening of a new nightclub.
Everything is glitzy and glamorous, everyone is happy and smiling, there is a VERY attractive barman helping you to the most delicious drinks all night. Your new red stilettos get loads of complements and you dance the night away with energy to spare.
Finishing this book was like seeing this same nightclub the next morning.
The air is stale and smells slightly of vomit, the tables are sticky with spilled drinks, the carpet is full of cigarette burns and the barman actually has bad teeth and a lazy eye.
Everything is glitzy and glamorous, everyone is happy and smiling, there is a VERY attractive barman helping you to the most delicious drinks all night. Your new red stilettos get loads of complements and you dance the night away with energy to spare.
Finishing this book was like seeing this same nightclub the next morning.
The air is stale and smells slightly of vomit, the tables are sticky with spilled drinks, the carpet is full of cigarette burns and the barman actually has bad teeth and a lazy eye.
December 16, 2023
4.5/5
“Yes, there’s one thing I do want. I want to be aware of the minutes and the seconds, and to make each one count.”
ummmm the ending??? i spent the last 10% SICK TO MY STOMACH. this story was such a beautiful tragedy that i will think about for a long time. yes, technically most of these people are unlikable, but tbh i couldn’t help but get attached to them. this is a very interesting portrayal of the golden age of cinema and what it takes to get to the top of the industry.
if yall are fans of sex and the city, evelyn hugo and just generally interested in rich and famous people dealing with rich and famous people problems, this one’s for u.
**edit: this book is a product of its time, so it does feature sexist viewpoints, homophobic language, and derogatory mental health terms. pls check trigger warnings before u pick any book up. happy reading 🩷
***edit 2: i saw the movie and while the movie is way more feminist, the book is much much better. although i hear there’s a book that spills the tea on all the behind the scenes drama of the making of the movie and i think i might be far enough down the rabbit hole to read it. stay tuned 🤭
“Yes, there’s one thing I do want. I want to be aware of the minutes and the seconds, and to make each one count.”
ummmm the ending??? i spent the last 10% SICK TO MY STOMACH. this story was such a beautiful tragedy that i will think about for a long time. yes, technically most of these people are unlikable, but tbh i couldn’t help but get attached to them. this is a very interesting portrayal of the golden age of cinema and what it takes to get to the top of the industry.
if yall are fans of sex and the city, evelyn hugo and just generally interested in rich and famous people dealing with rich and famous people problems, this one’s for u.
**edit: this book is a product of its time, so it does feature sexist viewpoints, homophobic language, and derogatory mental health terms. pls check trigger warnings before u pick any book up. happy reading 🩷
***edit 2: i saw the movie and while the movie is way more feminist, the book is much much better. although i hear there’s a book that spills the tea on all the behind the scenes drama of the making of the movie and i think i might be far enough down the rabbit hole to read it. stay tuned 🤭
June 24, 2020
This book had been sitting on my shelf unread for years (around 4-5 years I believe). I bought this at a used bookstore because I had always wanted to read it. I am so glad I finally picked this book because I loved it!
This book took me on a wild adventure and I loved every second of it. It was fascinating going on a journey with the three girls. They all started off so naive and sweet and then things took a turn for them and they became so hardened.
I was most fascinated with Anne and Lyon Burke. Their relationship was so interesting. I loved the way she talked about him in the beginning of the novel. She was so in love with him.
Even though this was published in 1966, it is still relevant today. The way they talk about middle age women (particularly in the entertainment industry) is still applicable to today. Additionally, drug addiction is still a huge problem in today’s world.
This book is a cult classic and I can definitely see why. There is something oddly intoxicating about it. Like it’s kind of trashy but at the same time so ahead of its time. It’s kind of ridiculous at times but still manages to convey a message to readers.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip of a novel!
This book took me on a wild adventure and I loved every second of it. It was fascinating going on a journey with the three girls. They all started off so naive and sweet and then things took a turn for them and they became so hardened.
I was most fascinated with Anne and Lyon Burke. Their relationship was so interesting. I loved the way she talked about him in the beginning of the novel. She was so in love with him.
Even though this was published in 1966, it is still relevant today. The way they talk about middle age women (particularly in the entertainment industry) is still applicable to today. Additionally, drug addiction is still a huge problem in today’s world.
This book is a cult classic and I can definitely see why. There is something oddly intoxicating about it. Like it’s kind of trashy but at the same time so ahead of its time. It’s kind of ridiculous at times but still manages to convey a message to readers.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip of a novel!
August 17, 2016
I declare this book extremely 1000% Ridiculous & problematic.
Is this book readable? Yes if you can ignore all the shitty characters, the shitty plot, and the shitty ending. All the characters act like they’re 12 year olds on crack, they all whined and complained about everything, throwing tantrums when they don’t get what they want, the women think they can only be happy when they’re married and have a man supporting them or when they’re thin, young, and famous. The men only care for the women to satisfy their sexual needs but basically didn’t even give a fuck about their feelings.
Reason why this book is extremely, 1000% ridiculous:
Tony: “What do you want to be? Jesus! Miriam’s right. You want to own me, to dry me out! I give what I have to singing.”
Jennifer: “And what do you give me?”
Tony: “My cock! And that should be enough.”
ROMANCE IS DEAD.
“Remember, the most important thing in the world is to have a man who loves you. Dress up for him.”
NO.
That one time Lyon asked Anne to come back to NY with him but Anne wanted to stay because her friend, Helen needed her, Lyon basically just left and sulked about it because hell no, Anne can’t have friends other than him and he’s more important than any of her friends anyway and if Anne chose to stay and help her friends, then Anne doesn’t love him. Uhm, Lyon, I’m sorry you’re cute and all but you’re acting like an 8 year old and you’re an imbecile.
Also that one time Lyon wanted to stay in Lawrenceville with Anne EVEN THOUGH Anne specifically said NO FUCKING WAY, LYON, I HATE LAWRENCEVILLE, and Lyon sulked about it and went awol to London like a bitch baby and he was like “I warn you, I shall marry the first plump English maiden who will cook and tend for me” smh, you have the mental capacity of a 7 year old and i hate your guts.
And then there’s Allen. OK he only showed up for like 5 minutes but he still managed to piss me off. Anne dated him for like 6 weeks (I think), even though she didn’t even like him that much. He’s an OK guy, but that’s it. And then it turned out that Allen is some kind of a millionaire and it was all fine and dandy until Allen forced Anne to marry him.
Anne: “I don’t want to marry you”
Allen: “OK ANNE. HERE’S A WEDDING RING AND IT’S 10 KARATS”
Anne: “But..”
Allen: “Oh, here’s my Dad, Gino..”
Gino: “Hi Anne I’m so glad you’re going to marry my son instead of some other ‘bimbo’ who only wants him for his money”
Anne: “BUT I DONT WANT TO MARRY HIM”
Allen & Gino: “Nonsense”
Anne: “FML”
“Oh Lyon, you scared me. Of course you can’t love like I love you. I don’t expect it. No one could love anyone that much” She looked at him closely. “Just love me, that’s all I ask. Love me as much as you can. And let me love you.”
Now I find this hard to believe. This Anne who never loved anyone and who only conversed with Lyon for two times?? This Anne who thinks there’s something wrong with her because she never loved anyone and who finds kissing men disgusting??? How did it happen? WHEN did it happen? DID I MISS SOMETHING. SOMEONE EXPLAIN. WHAT IS THIS INSTA LOVE NONSENSE.
“Allen, I know you’re furious at me — and the things you’ve said, you’ve said in anger. I want us to remain friends.”
“I like men for friends,” he said coldly.
FUCK YOU ALLEN, NO WOMEN WANTS TO BE UR FRIENDS ANYWAY, GOD, YOU’RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE.
Her mother just told her that her aunt died and Anne was like, “I couldn’t go. My mother didn’t really care. Didn’t really want me to be there. It would just look nice for Lawrenceville” UHM, Anne, your Aunt just died and the only thing you care about is yourself and whether your Mommy loves you or not, stop being so selfish.
All the characters are inconsistent and weak. For example:
Henry: Anne, I didn’t know you were friends with Allen Cooper. Stay away from him, he’s an ass.
2 minutes later…
Henry: ANNE U NEED TO STAY ENGAGeD TO ALLEN COOPER!!!1!!
Kevin: Anne ILY don’t leave me pls
2 minutes later…
Kevin: God! Anne! You’re so weak! All this time I’m with you I thought you were a lady but you’re just a bum! I’m done with you! BYE.
2 minutes later…
Kevin: [calls Anne while crying like a baby] pls come back I love you, take me back pls
Lyon: Anne I love you
Anne: ILY too, Lyon
Lyon: Maybe you should go back to Kevin
Anne: What
Lyon: I can only be with you for a few weeks then I have to come back to London, so..
Anne: …
Anne: Lyon we can’t move to Lawrenceville I hate it there, I’d rather die [followed by a huge fight and Lyon went awol]
Anne to Henry: I’ll live wherever he wants, I can’t live without him, Henry. I’d be happy with him anywhere, even Lawrenceville /Head desk/
GOD, I hate Anne so much sometimes. She didn’t love Allen or Kevin and yet she stays with them. Is it really that important for her to have a boyfriend even though she doesn’t really like them? WHat even is the point. And I don’t understand her ‘undying love’ for Lyon. What is exactly so good about this piece of shit? They only spoke to each other for 2 times then suddenly they started declaring their love for each other. Lyon is clearly only in love with himself, he’s an asshole who doesn’t even care about Anne. He’s a cheating bastard who acts so childish all the freaking time and throws tantrum and has a huge ego. So he’s supposed to be ‘really hot’ but so what. He’s basically a fuckboy.
Lyon: “No fat little pig is going to run our lives”
If that was being said today by my boyfriend about my best friend, I’d rethink my whole life and punch him in the face. I’d let no man disrespect my best friend by calling them names like a petty 6 year old.
And even worse! [gasps!] at some point in the book Anne said it herself, “But she’s (Neely AKA her best friend) fat as a pig. He can’t care for her!” UH, yes he can. Like you need to be thin to have other people care for you. Bitch PLEASE.
When Lyon cheated on her with her own best friend (yes, that’s Neely), Anne didn’t even tell Lyon that she knew because she still wanted him. Anne must really hate herself to stay in a relationship with that 2 year old instead of divorcing his ass. And then she started taking drugs. The same drugs that killed one of her best friends and ruined the other’s life. I just… WOW! No words! All the characters in this book are incredibly stupid. I’m sorry, but seriously, get a grip.
Is this book readable? Yes if you can ignore all the shitty characters, the shitty plot, and the shitty ending. All the characters act like they’re 12 year olds on crack, they all whined and complained about everything, throwing tantrums when they don’t get what they want, the women think they can only be happy when they’re married and have a man supporting them or when they’re thin, young, and famous. The men only care for the women to satisfy their sexual needs but basically didn’t even give a fuck about their feelings.
Reason why this book is extremely, 1000% ridiculous:
Tony: “What do you want to be? Jesus! Miriam’s right. You want to own me, to dry me out! I give what I have to singing.”
Jennifer: “And what do you give me?”
Tony: “My cock! And that should be enough.”
ROMANCE IS DEAD.
“Remember, the most important thing in the world is to have a man who loves you. Dress up for him.”
NO.
That one time Lyon asked Anne to come back to NY with him but Anne wanted to stay because her friend, Helen needed her, Lyon basically just left and sulked about it because hell no, Anne can’t have friends other than him and he’s more important than any of her friends anyway and if Anne chose to stay and help her friends, then Anne doesn’t love him. Uhm, Lyon, I’m sorry you’re cute and all but you’re acting like an 8 year old and you’re an imbecile.
Also that one time Lyon wanted to stay in Lawrenceville with Anne EVEN THOUGH Anne specifically said NO FUCKING WAY, LYON, I HATE LAWRENCEVILLE, and Lyon sulked about it and went awol to London like a bitch baby and he was like “I warn you, I shall marry the first plump English maiden who will cook and tend for me” smh, you have the mental capacity of a 7 year old and i hate your guts.
And then there’s Allen. OK he only showed up for like 5 minutes but he still managed to piss me off. Anne dated him for like 6 weeks (I think), even though she didn’t even like him that much. He’s an OK guy, but that’s it. And then it turned out that Allen is some kind of a millionaire and it was all fine and dandy until Allen forced Anne to marry him.
Anne: “I don’t want to marry you”
Allen: “OK ANNE. HERE’S A WEDDING RING AND IT’S 10 KARATS”
Anne: “But..”
Allen: “Oh, here’s my Dad, Gino..”
Gino: “Hi Anne I’m so glad you’re going to marry my son instead of some other ‘bimbo’ who only wants him for his money”
Anne: “BUT I DONT WANT TO MARRY HIM”
Allen & Gino: “Nonsense”
Anne: “FML”
“Oh Lyon, you scared me. Of course you can’t love like I love you. I don’t expect it. No one could love anyone that much” She looked at him closely. “Just love me, that’s all I ask. Love me as much as you can. And let me love you.”
Now I find this hard to believe. This Anne who never loved anyone and who only conversed with Lyon for two times?? This Anne who thinks there’s something wrong with her because she never loved anyone and who finds kissing men disgusting??? How did it happen? WHEN did it happen? DID I MISS SOMETHING. SOMEONE EXPLAIN. WHAT IS THIS INSTA LOVE NONSENSE.
“Allen, I know you’re furious at me — and the things you’ve said, you’ve said in anger. I want us to remain friends.”
“I like men for friends,” he said coldly.
FUCK YOU ALLEN, NO WOMEN WANTS TO BE UR FRIENDS ANYWAY, GOD, YOU’RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE.
Her mother just told her that her aunt died and Anne was like, “I couldn’t go. My mother didn’t really care. Didn’t really want me to be there. It would just look nice for Lawrenceville” UHM, Anne, your Aunt just died and the only thing you care about is yourself and whether your Mommy loves you or not, stop being so selfish.
All the characters are inconsistent and weak. For example:
Henry: Anne, I didn’t know you were friends with Allen Cooper. Stay away from him, he’s an ass.
2 minutes later…
Henry: ANNE U NEED TO STAY ENGAGeD TO ALLEN COOPER!!!1!!
Kevin: Anne ILY don’t leave me pls
2 minutes later…
Kevin: God! Anne! You’re so weak! All this time I’m with you I thought you were a lady but you’re just a bum! I’m done with you! BYE.
2 minutes later…
Kevin: [calls Anne while crying like a baby] pls come back I love you, take me back pls
Lyon: Anne I love you
Anne: ILY too, Lyon
Lyon: Maybe you should go back to Kevin
Anne: What
Lyon: I can only be with you for a few weeks then I have to come back to London, so..
Anne: …
Anne: Lyon we can’t move to Lawrenceville I hate it there, I’d rather die [followed by a huge fight and Lyon went awol]
Anne to Henry: I’ll live wherever he wants, I can’t live without him, Henry. I’d be happy with him anywhere, even Lawrenceville /Head desk/
GOD, I hate Anne so much sometimes. She didn’t love Allen or Kevin and yet she stays with them. Is it really that important for her to have a boyfriend even though she doesn’t really like them? WHat even is the point. And I don’t understand her ‘undying love’ for Lyon. What is exactly so good about this piece of shit? They only spoke to each other for 2 times then suddenly they started declaring their love for each other. Lyon is clearly only in love with himself, he’s an asshole who doesn’t even care about Anne. He’s a cheating bastard who acts so childish all the freaking time and throws tantrum and has a huge ego. So he’s supposed to be ‘really hot’ but so what. He’s basically a fuckboy.
Lyon: “No fat little pig is going to run our lives”
If that was being said today by my boyfriend about my best friend, I’d rethink my whole life and punch him in the face. I’d let no man disrespect my best friend by calling them names like a petty 6 year old.
And even worse! [gasps!] at some point in the book Anne said it herself, “But she’s (Neely AKA her best friend) fat as a pig. He can’t care for her!” UH, yes he can. Like you need to be thin to have other people care for you. Bitch PLEASE.
When Lyon cheated on her with her own best friend (yes, that’s Neely), Anne didn’t even tell Lyon that she knew because she still wanted him. Anne must really hate herself to stay in a relationship with that 2 year old instead of divorcing his ass. And then she started taking drugs. The same drugs that killed one of her best friends and ruined the other’s life. I just… WOW! No words! All the characters in this book are incredibly stupid. I’m sorry, but seriously, get a grip.
June 3, 2020
What a scary story!! Encapsulated in a wonderful setting of New York in the 1900s. Anne, Jennifer & Neely felt like real people to me, and Anne has now become one of my favourite fictional characters <3 Let me write a sequel about her life after this ending!!
Now on to the movie...
Now on to the movie...
December 29, 2020
Bestselling trash. It was at one point,the most popular book in the world. According to one estimate,it has sold over thirty one million copies and made it to the Guinness book of world records. I was curious to know what made it such a runaway bestseller.
So I picked it up.It is about the lives,friendships and love affairs of a group of women in show business. Later,it is about drug use. Published in the 1960s,it may have been scandalous for its time,but seems pretty tame now.
Some clever marketing tricks were used to push it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list,and from there it took off.
But it's very ordinary writing. It was actually rejected by a publisher calling it "painfully dull,inept,clumsy,undisciplined,rambling and thoroughly amateurish". I am certainly inclined to agree with that view. Curiosity satisfied,I couldn't read it for too long.
1.5 stars,rounded up to two in view of its place in publishing history.
So I picked it up.It is about the lives,friendships and love affairs of a group of women in show business. Later,it is about drug use. Published in the 1960s,it may have been scandalous for its time,but seems pretty tame now.
Some clever marketing tricks were used to push it to the top of the New York Times bestseller list,and from there it took off.
But it's very ordinary writing. It was actually rejected by a publisher calling it "painfully dull,inept,clumsy,undisciplined,rambling and thoroughly amateurish". I am certainly inclined to agree with that view. Curiosity satisfied,I couldn't read it for too long.
1.5 stars,rounded up to two in view of its place in publishing history.
May 13, 2020
This book may be bleak, but it’s so over the top and entertaining. If you are hoping for character development and happy endings though, look elsewhere. It’s a rough ride, but in my opinion a fun one. It’s like a mesmerizing train wreck.
We follow 3 women from the mid 1940s-60s.
The biggest focus is on Anne, but the other two POVs are Neely and Jennifer. They are all in the entertainment industry, trying to succeed while being oppressed by the men who run it, and are good friends (at least for the majority of the book). We see them all rise, and we see them all fall and unravel in various ways. Til the bitter end, they want it all-love, money, and power. And boy is it a struggle. This is where the “dolls” come in, and turns out being a pill addict is not great for a great work/life balance.
We follow 3 women from the mid 1940s-60s.
The biggest focus is on Anne, but the other two POVs are Neely and Jennifer. They are all in the entertainment industry, trying to succeed while being oppressed by the men who run it, and are good friends (at least for the majority of the book). We see them all rise, and we see them all fall and unravel in various ways. Til the bitter end, they want it all-love, money, and power. And boy is it a struggle. This is where the “dolls” come in, and turns out being a pill addict is not great for a great work/life balance.
April 21, 2012
Zzzzzzzzzz.....Valley of the Dulls is more like it.
One hundred pages was all I could stand of endless cheesy dialogue between a bunch of sleazy people with no personalities. Watch the movie instead. At least it's bad enough to be entertaining.
One hundred pages was all I could stand of endless cheesy dialogue between a bunch of sleazy people with no personalities. Watch the movie instead. At least it's bad enough to be entertaining.
July 4, 2021
DUDES this is one of my new favorite books. I wanna say it’s Bojack Horseman if Bojack Horseman was set in the 50s and revolves around women rising to fame in Hollywood.
Even though this book was published over 50 years ago, it is still so relevant. Fame can corrupt anyone and everyone, even those with the strongest of minds. I love that Susann was able to reveal these truths that are still, unfortunately, valid to this day.
The dialogue and story felt so natural to me, it was incredible. And don’t even get me started on the characters. We grow up with them as they all struggle on their own ropes to fame and see how they change over time which really really makes the story feel so well-constructed. It’s crazy how they can all change so much and still be the same people we met at the beginning of the story.
Trigger warnings for drug abuse and self harm if you choose to read this book. But oh my god I love everything about it, the aesthetics were the cherry on top. READ THIS!!
Even though this book was published over 50 years ago, it is still so relevant. Fame can corrupt anyone and everyone, even those with the strongest of minds. I love that Susann was able to reveal these truths that are still, unfortunately, valid to this day.
The dialogue and story felt so natural to me, it was incredible. And don’t even get me started on the characters. We grow up with them as they all struggle on their own ropes to fame and see how they change over time which really really makes the story feel so well-constructed. It’s crazy how they can all change so much and still be the same people we met at the beginning of the story.
Trigger warnings for drug abuse and self harm if you choose to read this book. But oh my god I love everything about it, the aesthetics were the cherry on top. READ THIS!!
May 3, 2025
How do you approach a book that is such a talismanic artifact of its time as this one without wondering first and foremost what it might have of value to today’s reader?
Whatever that may be, it’s not the writing. It’s pretty bad, especially the dialog.
So let’s turn to the story. The short version is that three young women (“girls” in the parlance of the book) are each looking for something in NYC in 1945. When over the years their dreams come true - and then go sideways - they each eventually turn to barbiturates to get them through the night.
The book is kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It’s horrifying, but you can’t look away. One railcar hurtles down the cliff, one is dangling on the edge, and the last is on solid ground, but upside down.
So why did these things happen to them? It would appear that the costs of achieving their dreams are just too high and they can’t handle it. Or maybe it’s that they don’t value themselves enough. Or they value themselves too much. Or men take advantage of them, or they take advantage of men. At some point in each of their lives they want, or think they want, a husband and a family, but that never works out. It wasn’t easy to like any of them, so I didn’t really care. Even so, I finished the book out of curiosity. How bad would the author make it? Would they all go over the cliff?
The answer to my initial question is nope, there is nothing here of value for a contemporary reader. Just a miss-mosh of sensationalistic blather. Actually, it wouldn’t even be sensationalistic by today’s standards.
Whatever that may be, it’s not the writing. It’s pretty bad, especially the dialog.
So let’s turn to the story. The short version is that three young women (“girls” in the parlance of the book) are each looking for something in NYC in 1945. When over the years their dreams come true - and then go sideways - they each eventually turn to barbiturates to get them through the night.
The book is kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion. It’s horrifying, but you can’t look away. One railcar hurtles down the cliff, one is dangling on the edge, and the last is on solid ground, but upside down.
So why did these things happen to them? It would appear that the costs of achieving their dreams are just too high and they can’t handle it. Or maybe it’s that they don’t value themselves enough. Or they value themselves too much. Or men take advantage of them, or they take advantage of men. At some point in each of their lives they want, or think they want, a husband and a family, but that never works out. It wasn’t easy to like any of them, so I didn’t really care. Even so, I finished the book out of curiosity. How bad would the author make it? Would they all go over the cliff?
The answer to my initial question is nope, there is nothing here of value for a contemporary reader. Just a miss-mosh of sensationalistic blather. Actually, it wouldn’t even be sensationalistic by today’s standards.
August 20, 2022
This is not a book I would have picked to read myself, tbh I wasn't sure if I could relate because of how old it is, it was written in 1966. But it was recommended to me so I thought I would give it a shot. And I’m so glad I did. I was instantly immersed, it was an extremely easy read and the plot could be relatable to any era.
It is a story of 3 young women, Anne, Neely and Jennifer, who travel to New York during the 1940's to make an extraordinary life for themselves. The girls become lifelong friends early on and Valley of the Dolls chronicles their friendship and lives for about the next 20 years. Each woman has their own POV and intermittently relays their story throughout the book. Anne, a classic type beauty, who I consider the main character, moves to New York at 20 escaping a boring life in Lawrenceville narrowly missing an arranged marriage and becoming a full time wife. Neely, a wide eyed attractive 17 year old decent vaudville singer/dancer, has been performing from even earlier on is just trying to be cast in a decent show on Broadway with her mediocre trio The Gaucheros. And then there is Jennifer, a "20" year old bombshell that knows how to use her looks, who is trying to marry someone with wealth and so prestige she can keep sending money back home.
As they each start their careers the girls endure the pressures of success as well as heartache with their love life which leads to a slippery slope mixing "Dolls" (Seconals and other pills) with alcohol to cope. As the "dolls" become a constant in their lives it takes a toll and affects all of them.
Neely was my least favorite. I really disliked her early on in the book, which disappointmented me because she starts out as a very likeable character. It didn’t get better, I continued to dislike her to the very end. She showed her true colors only running to her friends when she really needed them but when she was on top she would forget about them even though they tried to be a constant in her life, the "dolls" and stardom were her only worries.
Valley of the Dolls was an entertaining novel. I enjoyed the dynamic of the trio’s friendship, the dilemma’s Neely went through and rooted for Jennifer and Anne to find happiness. The only disappointment I had really was for the ending. It left me with a very melancholy feel. But even though it didn’t give me the ending I wanted it was worthwhile read. I suggest this to readers who love drama, contemporary fiction like Jennifer Weiner or Taylor Jenkins Reid, or interested in the retro era’s of the 1940’s-1960’s
It is a story of 3 young women, Anne, Neely and Jennifer, who travel to New York during the 1940's to make an extraordinary life for themselves. The girls become lifelong friends early on and Valley of the Dolls chronicles their friendship and lives for about the next 20 years. Each woman has their own POV and intermittently relays their story throughout the book. Anne, a classic type beauty, who I consider the main character, moves to New York at 20 escaping a boring life in Lawrenceville narrowly missing an arranged marriage and becoming a full time wife. Neely, a wide eyed attractive 17 year old decent vaudville singer/dancer, has been performing from even earlier on is just trying to be cast in a decent show on Broadway with her mediocre trio The Gaucheros. And then there is Jennifer, a "20" year old bombshell that knows how to use her looks, who is trying to marry someone with wealth and so prestige she can keep sending money back home.
As they each start their careers the girls endure the pressures of success as well as heartache with their love life which leads to a slippery slope mixing "Dolls" (Seconals and other pills) with alcohol to cope. As the "dolls" become a constant in their lives it takes a toll and affects all of them.
Neely was my least favorite. I really disliked her early on in the book, which disappointmented me because she starts out as a very likeable character. It didn’t get better, I continued to dislike her to the very end. She showed her true colors only running to her friends when she really needed them but when she was on top she would forget about them even though they tried to be a constant in her life, the "dolls" and stardom were her only worries.
Valley of the Dolls was an entertaining novel. I enjoyed the dynamic of the trio’s friendship, the dilemma’s Neely went through and rooted for Jennifer and Anne to find happiness. The only disappointment I had really was for the ending. It left me with a very melancholy feel. But even though it didn’t give me the ending I wanted it was worthwhile read. I suggest this to readers who love drama, contemporary fiction like Jennifer Weiner or Taylor Jenkins Reid, or interested in the retro era’s of the 1940’s-1960’s
July 12, 2016
Despite being a classic had I before I got asked if I wanted to participate in the blog tour never read nor seen the movie version of Valley of the Dolls. But, since I'm a daring person when it comes to books did I not hesitate to read it, despite not knowing much about the book. I do not know how big a hit the book was in Sweden when it was published, but I have never really heard that much about the book, could be because I was not born when it was published. So, it was interesting to read a book that so many people seem to like and that seemed to have been an inspiration source for other female writers.
And, the book turned out to be quite good, in the kind of depressing way when you read something that you know will not end on a happy note. And, I was right. Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, they all reach success in their own way, but that doesn't mean that their life will be happy and unhappiness in love, addiction to pills and illness mark their lives. I would say that this book written 50 years ago and taking place over 20 years from the middle of the 40s could just as well has been written today. Not, much has changed in the world and the struggle to get to the top is still a dangerous climb. I mean how many celebrities have not died because of drugs in the last couple of years?
Of all the characters in the book was it Neely that I had the most problems with. Right from the start did I feel that she was annoying and towards the end of the book I really hated her. I really mean that I almost had a throw the book away moment because of her. I get angry just thinking about her while writing the review. Jennifer, I feel sorry for, she is so beautiful, but her mother controlled her life and not even her beauty could make her really happy, or rather her beauty would be the end for her since that was all people saw. And then we have Anne, who only wanted real love, and in the end, she got love, but at a cost.
It's a very tragic book and I do not know if it's a book I would like to read again, but and I'm glad I read the book. Valley of the Dolls is well-written and interesting and it feels timeless.
Thanks to Virago for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
And, the book turned out to be quite good, in the kind of depressing way when you read something that you know will not end on a happy note. And, I was right. Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, they all reach success in their own way, but that doesn't mean that their life will be happy and unhappiness in love, addiction to pills and illness mark their lives. I would say that this book written 50 years ago and taking place over 20 years from the middle of the 40s could just as well has been written today. Not, much has changed in the world and the struggle to get to the top is still a dangerous climb. I mean how many celebrities have not died because of drugs in the last couple of years?
Of all the characters in the book was it Neely that I had the most problems with. Right from the start did I feel that she was annoying and towards the end of the book I really hated her. I really mean that I almost had a throw the book away moment because of her. I get angry just thinking about her while writing the review. Jennifer, I feel sorry for, she is so beautiful, but her mother controlled her life and not even her beauty could make her really happy, or rather her beauty would be the end for her since that was all people saw. And then we have Anne, who only wanted real love, and in the end, she got love, but at a cost.
It's a very tragic book and I do not know if it's a book I would like to read again, but and I'm glad I read the book. Valley of the Dolls is well-written and interesting and it feels timeless.
Thanks to Virago for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!
July 25, 2011
What an amazing book - I couldn't put it down. I had always envisaged this as old-school chick lit (and had avoided it until Virago released their delightful 30th Anniversary covers and I had to buy it for that) but it really isn't - it is a scathing attack on how women are used and abused by the entertainment media and spat right back out again while men are revered and protected. It is certainly bleak but the way the book is written with such clinical passion (yes I know - an oxymoron but apt) suggests Susann may have had first hand experience in the scene.
The story could easily have fallen into melodrama but Susann is careful to make the reader feel very much like they are looking in, you cant sympathise with Anne, Jennifer or Neely, you can only examine them and feel sorry for them - they are all naive and deeply flawed. Anne is innocent to a fault, Jennifer has terribly low self-esteem and Neely is the ultimate Britney Spears - too much, too young, too fast - she becomes nothing but a selfish monster ready to crack at any moment. Susann's characters are totally believable and recognizable. You really want to take each girl by the neck and shake her around a bit to make her see sense. A really brilliant story, would recommend to anyone.
The story could easily have fallen into melodrama but Susann is careful to make the reader feel very much like they are looking in, you cant sympathise with Anne, Jennifer or Neely, you can only examine them and feel sorry for them - they are all naive and deeply flawed. Anne is innocent to a fault, Jennifer has terribly low self-esteem and Neely is the ultimate Britney Spears - too much, too young, too fast - she becomes nothing but a selfish monster ready to crack at any moment. Susann's characters are totally believable and recognizable. You really want to take each girl by the neck and shake her around a bit to make her see sense. A really brilliant story, would recommend to anyone.
July 23, 2021
I expected a trashy beach read, and now I’m crying. Fuck everything about this book.
March 29, 2019
Fabulous! For some reason I thought this book was set in the 70s, rather than the 50s and 60s. Divas, drug abuse, affairs and bitch slapping, wigs flushed down loos. Neely, wow, what a piece of work! This book is set in the last glory days of the big Broadway and Hollywood stars and their demise with the advent of Hollywood. I felt really sorry for Jennifer and more so for Anne and sad that she got bitten by the bug in the end as well. What a story! My friend Jay tells me this is a lightly disguised fiction of Judy Garland and Ethel Merman, which sent me straight to Wiki to read up. Fascinating stuff.
March 22, 2022
It's going to be really difficult for me to rate this, because I can't deny that I enjoyed it. It was, by definition, craptastic, or as my good friend Em likes to say, trashtastic. I mention Em because I did this buddy read with her, and that made it all the more an enjoyable experience. She's as much a masochist as I am, and we find the same things ironically funny, so all in all, it was fun. Read her review, because her analysis is better than mine, as is her sense of humour.
That said, in fairness, I cannot give this book more than 2 stars.
Where do I start? It is supposed to be an honest commentary about the usage of "dolls" - stimulants like barbiturates and amphetamines by women in the show business. And in its strange manner, it is. Perhaps the only thing this book achieves is that it manages be what it set out to be. It fails in its other aspects quite spectacularly. It isn't well-written in the least, the prose is repetitive, clunky, and boring, and it is a hundred pages longer than it should have been. It tries, in its own ways, to be empowering and feminist, and in this regard, also, it fails. Finally, it also tries and fails to be an accurate commentary of life in show biz. It does not make me sympathise with the characters; it alienates me from them.
Anne was just a small town girl living in the lonely world who took the midnight train going to New York. She and her friends Neely and Jennifer are just three girls trying to make it in '40s New York. Anne, educated at Radcliffe, is an all-American girl, who starts off as a secretary, but becomes the face of a cosmetics line. Neely, fresh-faced and nervous, who by her talent rises to become one of Hollywood's greatest stars. Jennifer, gorgeous, is defined by her beauty rather than by who she is as a person. Would have worked too, had Susann not decided to make caricatures of her characters.
Neely is seventeen when she becomes a star, and of course, it gets to her head. She becomes tempermental and moody. Signs of a genius, they call it, until it becomes too much for them. She becomes addicted to the dolls - to maintain her figure, to help her sleep, to stay sane. Her first marriage to the doting Mel fails because of her vanity and infidelity. Her second to Ted, because of his. Throughout the story, despite her childish behaviour, in spite of her tantrums, I never hated Neely. She came up through pure talent, and that was rare. She did stupid things. She had nervous breakdowns. I liked her through it all. Until. Until she performs her last act of ultimate betrayal. And thusly, she was made a caricature. A caricature of a talented Hollywood superstar whose personal life is in a complete shambles, who turns out to be a total stereotype.
Susann doesn't know when to stop, and that seems to be this book's biggest problem. She takes perfectly good characters and makes you hate them with such seething passion, you begin to question your hatred of pretty much everything else. She had, in this book, an opportunity to step away from stereotypes and deliver something real, but she didn't, and somehow, I'm disappointed that she didn't.
Anne, sweet Anne whom I liked despite her pathetic and dogged devotion to Lyon who really didn't deserve it. Until, of course, the last two pages, because somehow Susann doesn't want me to like her book at all. I felt sorry for Jennifer because she was a genuinely good person who made some terrible choices. And on whose body and face more value was placed than on her as a person. Except by Anne, and maybe Henry. Henry was truly the only character I genuinely liked in this book, and dammit, he should've had more screen space.
Susann takes issues like feminism, and to an extent, even addiction, and makes a mockery of them. Not directly, but because of the way she talks about these things. She seems like she's giving her women the power to fly, but she instead clips their wings by making them deeply flawed and superficial. Not that there's a problem with either, but it's like she's not even trying. In a way, it seems like she is shaming women for rejecting stability and the ideals of life for a woman by showing its dire consequences.
The reason this book fails ultimately is because of its ending. Look, I'm not the kind of person who expects a sunshine and rainbows ending all the time. But after I invest hours reading some 400 pages of which half was unnecessary, the least you can do is give me a halfway decent ending. As Em said during our discussion, while this may have been revolutionary when it was released and sparked a coversation, this does not take away from its negatives.
In the recent past, I've read two great books about the show business. One, a novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and the other, Tina Fey's autobiography Bossypants. Both of them handle similar themes as this book, but do so with a much greater elegance. If you're looking for a good, enjoyable read on this subject, pick either of these two books. If you want have fun, however, pick up Valley of the Dolls
That said, in fairness, I cannot give this book more than 2 stars.
Where do I start? It is supposed to be an honest commentary about the usage of "dolls" - stimulants like barbiturates and amphetamines by women in the show business. And in its strange manner, it is. Perhaps the only thing this book achieves is that it manages be what it set out to be. It fails in its other aspects quite spectacularly. It isn't well-written in the least, the prose is repetitive, clunky, and boring, and it is a hundred pages longer than it should have been. It tries, in its own ways, to be empowering and feminist, and in this regard, also, it fails. Finally, it also tries and fails to be an accurate commentary of life in show biz. It does not make me sympathise with the characters; it alienates me from them.
Anne was just a small town girl living in the lonely world who took the midnight train going to New York. She and her friends Neely and Jennifer are just three girls trying to make it in '40s New York. Anne, educated at Radcliffe, is an all-American girl, who starts off as a secretary, but becomes the face of a cosmetics line. Neely, fresh-faced and nervous, who by her talent rises to become one of Hollywood's greatest stars. Jennifer, gorgeous, is defined by her beauty rather than by who she is as a person. Would have worked too, had Susann not decided to make caricatures of her characters.
Neely is seventeen when she becomes a star, and of course, it gets to her head. She becomes tempermental and moody. Signs of a genius, they call it, until it becomes too much for them. She becomes addicted to the dolls - to maintain her figure, to help her sleep, to stay sane. Her first marriage to the doting Mel fails because of her vanity and infidelity. Her second to Ted, because of his. Throughout the story, despite her childish behaviour, in spite of her tantrums, I never hated Neely. She came up through pure talent, and that was rare. She did stupid things. She had nervous breakdowns. I liked her through it all. Until. Until she performs her last act of ultimate betrayal. And thusly, she was made a caricature. A caricature of a talented Hollywood superstar whose personal life is in a complete shambles, who turns out to be a total stereotype.
Susann doesn't know when to stop, and that seems to be this book's biggest problem. She takes perfectly good characters and makes you hate them with such seething passion, you begin to question your hatred of pretty much everything else. She had, in this book, an opportunity to step away from stereotypes and deliver something real, but she didn't, and somehow, I'm disappointed that she didn't.
Anne, sweet Anne whom I liked despite her pathetic and dogged devotion to Lyon who really didn't deserve it. Until, of course, the last two pages, because somehow Susann doesn't want me to like her book at all. I felt sorry for Jennifer because she was a genuinely good person who made some terrible choices. And on whose body and face more value was placed than on her as a person. Except by Anne, and maybe Henry. Henry was truly the only character I genuinely liked in this book, and dammit, he should've had more screen space.
Susann takes issues like feminism, and to an extent, even addiction, and makes a mockery of them. Not directly, but because of the way she talks about these things. She seems like she's giving her women the power to fly, but she instead clips their wings by making them deeply flawed and superficial. Not that there's a problem with either, but it's like she's not even trying. In a way, it seems like she is shaming women for rejecting stability and the ideals of life for a woman by showing its dire consequences.
The reason this book fails ultimately is because of its ending. Look, I'm not the kind of person who expects a sunshine and rainbows ending all the time. But after I invest hours reading some 400 pages of which half was unnecessary, the least you can do is give me a halfway decent ending. As Em said during our discussion, while this may have been revolutionary when it was released and sparked a coversation, this does not take away from its negatives.
In the recent past, I've read two great books about the show business. One, a novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and the other, Tina Fey's autobiography Bossypants. Both of them handle similar themes as this book, but do so with a much greater elegance. If you're looking for a good, enjoyable read on this subject, pick either of these two books. If you want have fun, however, pick up Valley of the Dolls
July 5, 2025
After reading Scandalous Women by Gill Paul, I was inspired to read Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.
Valley of the Dolls is a look into the glitzy, ruthless worlds of show business and high society, following three women—Anne, Neely, and Jennifer—who each chase fame, love, and success, only to find themselves caught in a downward spiral of heartbreak, betrayal, and addiction to the “dolls” (pills) that promise escape. The book doesn’t sugarcoat anything; it dives headfirst into the dark side of ambition, showing how quickly dreams can turn into nightmares. The themes of fame, self-worth, and the price of success are just as timely as it is today. Susann’s dialogue and behind-the-scenes details of Hollywood and Broadway kept me hooked from start to finish. The book was a fascinating, compulsively readable novel that gave me a new appreciation for why it became such a cultural phenomenon. Reading Valley of the Dolls after Scandalous Women made me think more deeply about the lives of women in the public eye and the sacrifices they often make. I can see why it’s endured as a classic—and why it still sparks conversations about fame, addiction, and the cost of living in the spotlight.
Valley of the Dolls is a look into the glitzy, ruthless worlds of show business and high society, following three women—Anne, Neely, and Jennifer—who each chase fame, love, and success, only to find themselves caught in a downward spiral of heartbreak, betrayal, and addiction to the “dolls” (pills) that promise escape. The book doesn’t sugarcoat anything; it dives headfirst into the dark side of ambition, showing how quickly dreams can turn into nightmares. The themes of fame, self-worth, and the price of success are just as timely as it is today. Susann’s dialogue and behind-the-scenes details of Hollywood and Broadway kept me hooked from start to finish. The book was a fascinating, compulsively readable novel that gave me a new appreciation for why it became such a cultural phenomenon. Reading Valley of the Dolls after Scandalous Women made me think more deeply about the lives of women in the public eye and the sacrifices they often make. I can see why it’s endured as a classic—and why it still sparks conversations about fame, addiction, and the cost of living in the spotlight.
September 24, 2025
After weeks of chipping away at her, I have finally emerged from the Valley of the Dolls!
An enduring modern classic for a reason, Jacqueline Susann sets the patriarchal fame machine squarely within her sights and provides an unflinching, all too familiar portrait of a cycle that uses, abuses and then unceremoniously throws away women in favor of the newest, shiniest, next big thing. What sets Valley of the Dolls apart to me, is less the descent into self-medication, sanitariums and Scotch, but the enduring sense of empathy for the main characters, even as they act despicably on their quest to survive the very fame they set out to find. The character of Neely in particular, a vaudeville nobody turned tragic Hollywood star, had all the trappings of a Judy Garland/Marilyn Monroe etc. but Susann elevates this arc beyond mere thin caricature, building what is ultimately a deeply lonely, and naïve young woman who falls into addiction - to drugs yes, but also to attention, self-hatred and ultimately her own destruction.
The character of Jennifer was another standout element in a book filled with such fully-formed, captivating women. Knowing that Jacqueline Susann battled breast cancer for many years and ultimately succumbed to the disease, one can only imagine the level of deep, painful catharsis that writing this particular character arc would have brought her. I'll be thinking about it for some time (and scheduling that overdue breast exam!)
My one complainant ultimately, was the length of the book. While some of the repetition was surely by design, the cycle of rise and fall, success and setback, feels numbing after awhile. Kind of like those little red, green, and yellow dolls...
An enduring modern classic for a reason, Jacqueline Susann sets the patriarchal fame machine squarely within her sights and provides an unflinching, all too familiar portrait of a cycle that uses, abuses and then unceremoniously throws away women in favor of the newest, shiniest, next big thing. What sets Valley of the Dolls apart to me, is less the descent into self-medication, sanitariums and Scotch, but the enduring sense of empathy for the main characters, even as they act despicably on their quest to survive the very fame they set out to find. The character of Neely in particular, a vaudeville nobody turned tragic Hollywood star, had all the trappings of a Judy Garland/Marilyn Monroe etc. but Susann elevates this arc beyond mere thin caricature, building what is ultimately a deeply lonely, and naïve young woman who falls into addiction - to drugs yes, but also to attention, self-hatred and ultimately her own destruction.
The character of Jennifer was another standout element in a book filled with such fully-formed, captivating women. Knowing that Jacqueline Susann battled breast cancer for many years and ultimately succumbed to the disease, one can only imagine the level of deep, painful catharsis that writing this particular character arc would have brought her. I'll be thinking about it for some time (and scheduling that overdue breast exam!)
My one complainant ultimately, was the length of the book. While some of the repetition was surely by design, the cycle of rise and fall, success and setback, feels numbing after awhile. Kind of like those little red, green, and yellow dolls...
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