Yargo

by Jacqueline Susann

This is the Exclusive Hardcover Edition for members A Science fiction fantasy set on Earth and planet Yargo, where evolution is 30,000 years in advance of Earth. Everyone has a brilliant mind, remarkable physical beauty, no emotional capacity. Love wends its way through although how will it end? Susann completed this novel in 1956 and it was rediscovered some twenty years YARGO is a spellbinding and romantic story of a beautiful woman who was kidnapped by the most attractive man she had ever met - a man from outer space. It will give you goosebumps !!

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Fantasy, Classics, Aliens, Adult

215 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Jacqueline 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.

Reviews

[Karri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in high school and I've probably re-read it more than any other book. It's about Janet Cooper who gets kidnapped by aliens by mistake and when the aliens realize their mistake they don't know what to do with her. The planet that takes her is called Yargo (so is their leader who Janet falls in love with). It sounds strange but the premise of the book lies in the fact that Yargo is supposedly a perfect planet. There is no sickness, no war, and they are thousands of years more advanced than earth. Well, as a young and idealistic teenager this appealed to me very much and although the book actually is kind of cheesy, it still remains one of my favorites.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

YARGO (1979, Bantam) is the kind of novel I would never have approached had it not been written by trash connoisseur Jacqueline Susann—or by the likes of Jackie Susann, come to think of it. I mean, let’s be real here...
https://sleaze-factor.blogspot.com/20...

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, actually. Orson Scott Card said it wasn't real science fiction, but it felt pretty real to me. However, I think the real love story here was between Janet and the strong woman who is first her babysitter and translator, then her chaperone, then her friend. The romance between Yargo and Janet feels tacked on. This isn't a romance so much as one woman's story of awakening.

[Circa Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously this is a very different kind of story than Valley of the Dolls and was written with a pulpy sci-fi tone that is more fun and fluffy than her dark adult portraits of glamour and romance. However, I found it just as engaging and hard to put down as her more renowned bestseller. Janet's character, while simple minded and immature, is very relatable and easy to empathize with as she is stuck in a sort of quarter life crisis brought on by rigid societal expectations of women and an unsupportive network of loved ones. She is thrown from a mediocre, streamlined existence into a supernatural situation where she is even more dramatically the odd one out and is literally put on trial to prove her worth. That's a hell of a self esteem nightmare!

The thin nightie cover and subtitle "A love story" is fairly misleading to the real direction and content of the story which is more of a chick version of Enemy Mine (1985) where a simple human and an alien have to overcome their differences to survive. Yargo himself and the shallow chemistry Janet perceives between the two of them is really just tacked on towards the end and it feels uncomfortably forced.

Like Valley of the Dolls, the more interesting relationship is the one between the women of the book. Sasau was a total badass who was raised without a complex range of emotion so she's cool headed and practical under extreme pressure. And by extreme pressure I mean she was almost publicly raped by a caged, violent man-bee hybrid and she kept a poker face and when she later got her arm torn off by the same creature she felt bad about shedding a couple of tears of pain. Because of her physical perfection, intelligence and resilience, she is an intimidating and clashing contrast to Janet's awkward, weak willed moodiness at first. Sasau has no interest or patience in being Janet's guide on planet Yargo because she feels she is too superior to connect with her as an equal. Janet finds Sasau's coldness offputting and insensitive so she too has misgivings about working together. However after a mission to Mars gone horribly wrong the two find common ground and compassion that goes beyond the boundaries of their separate cultures and evolution. So if there was any "love story" in this book it was the friendship between them.

This is a fast, fun read that I can faithfully recommend to even reluctant sci-fi readers. It's not too complex but there are some great characters and ideas being exchanged about what makes for a utopia, what place love and family should have in society, what pursuits should be prioritized in life, living for yourself vs. the greater good of mankind and finding who you are.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this quirky little book. I read it at 14 first time and I loved it for the fantasy element, I read it again as an adult and love it for all the social, moral and romantic issues it raises.

I'm not saying it is the deepest book I have ever read, far from it, but gosh its good.

Suitable for anyone from teen to pensioner you can't help but love it.

By far my most read book, it makes an appearance at least once every couple of years.

nb. I have read no other Susann books so have nothing to compare it to.

[Rena Holcomb]

I still remember this story after 25 years!

[Johanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sold on it until I wasn't anymore. While I enjoy Susann's writing style, the plot fell flat for me towards the end. The book had some logical mistakes, but, all in all, I had a good time as the plot moved along quite quickly. Still, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

[Jeffrey May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yargo by Jacqueline Susann is remarkable. It was written around 1953 (published 1979). Reminded me of reading Gulliver's Travels, in that the viewpoint of the author during that time affected the read. In any case, it was a great read and endures as excellent writing, with a powerfully emotional voice.

Jeffrey Penn May, author of Where the River Splits, No Teacher Left Standing, and more.

[Anuradha Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

just one word - A-W-E-S-O-M-E~
I was 13 when I read this novel n
believe me, this novel was the best thing that happened to me that year....
I'm an incurably romantic person and this was my 1st one....!
I really thought I was with Janet Cooper n I'd soooo love to meet Yargo...

The story is about a pretty girl - Janet Cooper who is kidnapped by the most attractive man she has ever met, a man from outer space....Yargo :)

[Conchie Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely one of my all-time favorite books!!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never was much of a reader but i read this when i was 17 and from that time on i was hooked, i was in switzerland on holidays and picked it up only because it was the only thing i could find in english, and well let me tell you i fell in love with Yargo.. the book and the man, i really loved the story,it was fantastic. I gave it to my sister to read and years later my neice,sadly it got lost somewhere between all the borrowing and i have never been able to find this book again... This book started my time travel and paranormal addiction... i would love to read this again its a classic

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 2 out of 5]

[This is an old review I'm just now adding to GR.]

I read this entirely because, when I was a young teen, I tried to buy it from a Friends of the Library book sale and was told that I couldn't. A librarian talked to my mom, and my mom told me I couldn't read it until I was thirty. I was determined to read it before then, but unfortunately forgot about it. Better late than never, right?

All right, moving on to the book. As a science fiction novel, Yargo is mediocre. As a science fiction romance, it is completely terrible. As a statement about feminism...well, I'm not entirely sure what it was trying to say. Yargo is probably at its best as an adventure story, but sadly that was only a small portion of the book.

Janet Cooper is an ordinary American woman. When she was younger, she longed to be a famous actress and to marry a handsome and romantic man. Instead, her dreams were shot down by her mother and, eventually, David, her fiance. David is a good man, a perfect future husband, although he's not as passionate as Janet would have preferred. Still, she considers herself lucky.

Then, while on a trip to her beloved childhood vacation spot, Janet is abducted by aliens. Gorgeous aliens. All the men are tall, bald, and have amazing green eyes, and all the women are visions of loveliness. Janet soon learns that her abduction was a mistake – the aliens had intended to abduct either Dr. Einstein or Dr. Blount and had settled upon Dr. Blount. Having realized their mistake, they now have to decide what to do with Janet.

The first third of this book reminded me of a particular game, Hope: Other Side of Adventure . In that game, you play the princess in the usual video game “damsel in distress” setup. You're locked in a cell and can literally do nothing to save yourself. It was depressing, and I uninstalled it fairly quickly. Anyway, Janet reminded me of that princess. Pretty much the only thing she could do was plead to be allowed back to Earth. She spent most of her time on Yargo locked in a single room, with nothing to do but think. No daring escapes, no time spent exploring the planet, nothing.

The story became more exciting when Janet's fate was finally decided and she was loaded onto a spaceship. Things went wrong, and the Yargoans she was with finally began treating her like one of them. Then came the crazier stuff: the Venusian bee people. This was when the book's few instances of violence happened (dismemberment! near rape!). For a while, I was genuinely worried that Susann was going to include an on-page rape scene involving a crazed mutant bee prince. This part of the book was also when Susann's message about feminism seemed to be strongest, although I felt that the book's ending contradicted some of the things she seemed to be trying to say during Janet and Sanau's captivity on Venus. While I thought the blossoming friendship between Janet and Sanau was fascinating, I hated that Sanau's new emotions included maternal feelings (of course because she's a woman, because no woman has ever not had warm fuzzy feelings for their children).

After that exciting and slightly horrifying middle, I was looking forward to seeing how the book would end. Unfortunately, this is where Yargo took a giant nosedive. There had been indications that Janet was fascinated by the Yargo, perhaps on the path to becoming as worshipful of him as his own people were. I wouldn't have called it romance, but that was exactly what Susann tried to shoehorn into the book's ending. Here is a summary of how Janet and the Yargo's conversations went:

Janet: (I can't stop thinking about him! I love him! Does he love me???)
Yargo: Okay, I've finished my daily chat with you so you won't feel lonely. Are you sure you're not well enough to leave yet? Wow, your human body is even weaker and more inferior than I thought.
Janet: I love you!
Yargo: ...That's nice. I pity you and have no feelings for you.
Janet: That can't be true! You love me!!!
Yargo: I do not understand love the way you do. I love my people, I love those blades of grass out there. But I do not love individuals.
Janet: You're lying. You like spending time with me. That's love!
Yargo: ...I think I enjoy spending time with you. Is that love?
Janet: YES! And also, this is love, too! [She kisses him.]
Yargo: That's love?
Janet: YES!
Yargo: Huh. It was kind of unpleasant.
Janet: ...That's okay! You like spending time with me. It's a start. You love me! I can wait.
Yargo: Yeah, I don't think you can. This is kind of awkward. You should probably go back to Earth soon.
Janet: But, but, I love you! You love me! I have faith.
Yargo: Faith in what?
Janet: That God will ensure that everything turns out all right.
Yargo: Ha ha ha ha! Seriously? That makes no sense. I'm God. The God you worship doesn't exist. You humans and your silly religion.
Janet: You blasphemer! I love you, but this is too much! [She smacks him.]
Yargo: Right. I'm going now. You have a nice life back on Earth, okay?

I hated this “romance” with a burning passion. It was awful. The colder the Yargo was towards Janet, the more convinced she was that, deep down, he loved her. I didn't think David was a great catch either, but the choice didn't have to be “the Yargo vs. David.” Janet could easily have gone back to Earth, ditched David, and then taken some time to figure out what she wanted from her life. I think the choice between David and the Yargo was supposed to be seen as a choice between a safe future and the possibility of passionate love, but it didn't work for me at all.

By the end of the book, Susann completely forgot why Janet had been kidnapped in the first place. The Yargoans had intended to give Dr. Blount the information necessary to warn Earth's leaders that nuclear testing would cause the Sun to go prenova in the near future. Nothing happened to make this danger go away, but apparently Janet's love for the Yargo was more important.

All in all, this was a quick read that held my attention. I'm glad I read it, if only to satisfy my curiosity. However, I don't know that I'd ever recommend it to anyone else.

(Original review, with read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Anita Robins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the book long ago and was greatly impressed cuz it is a story with a cut above the ordinary. A high fi scientific love story, with a different kind of adventure in space. It revolves around Janet, mistakenly kidnapped by aliens and taken to Yargo, their planet. Yargo is a perfect and well advanced planet (far beyond the earth)with no illness, no hatred, no jealousy, no war and nothing that would give out negative and unhealthy vibes in the environment. The 'love' aspect on the planet is somewhat intriguing though, as the author meant it to be that way. The story is about how Janet unintentionally introduces her 'earthly ways'........ and the rest is only for us to guess.........!

I liked it then and do so even now, cuz it seems to me the ultimate answer to the end of all pandemonium on our planet earth.

Its a book to be taken seriously by our leaders, who really want peace on earth.....

[Andee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in the 80s, admittedly I am not a big reader of fiction, but I loved this odd yet well written book. There are a 100 art books I would list as books you cannot put down... I would not say that about many fiction books but I would say it about Yargo. Yargo is a sci-fi love story adventure centering around a young woman named Janet who is mistakenly abducted by aliens and taken with them while they try to figure out what to do with her once they discover their error. sounds cheesy? Not at all... well written, rich character studies, a unique reading adventure if you re tired of the same old, same old. I reread this book once a year and never tire of it.... if more of susann's works had been like this one I would have read them.

[Neen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be the book I have read more than any other. I first read it in my teens and have re-read it at least once every decade. For those who have read other Jacqueline Susann novels this one is totally different. From memory it was her first and found after her death. Its innocence and simplicity make it a great read. I think it could be best described as a science fiction romance. I just love the story line and I love the main character Janet.

[Rob Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superior life form similar in physique to humans mistakenly abduct an ordinary woman, Janet, instead of the scientist they wanted. They do not discover the error until they are half-way back to their planet of Yargo. Then when the Yargo beings are taking Janet to her new home on Mars they are attacked by bee-like creatures from Venus. After they win the battle they are set to return Janet to her original home on earth. That’s when things get hazy. Excellent read.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first and best time travel book I ever read!!

[Bytheocean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have reread this book many times.

[Dawn Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time fav books!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pulp science fiction novel that was written in the 1950s but not published until 1979, after the author had died. Pretty goofy and hard to believe, but I just couldn't put the book down. Unintentionally funny, and very entertaining in a "so bad that it's good" kind of way. A guilty pleasure, for sure.

[Leticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was entertaining, more focused on the characters relationships than the soft sci-fi.

[Aghuz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything started when I found this novel in 1997 when I opened my father's casket which is locked tight. At that time I was in the first degree, university. It is remarkable to read and have this novel, because it is different from the novels of other science fiction until now, 2011. I think the story is very plausible and beautiful with the involvement of our imagination to enter into this story.
Yargo, and his perfect planet, with an infinite sanctity of a Yargo, just like God to the whole planet and the universe. He brought peace to the essentials, but it all feels very cold, felt no emotion at all not even need to feel the warmth of love. But ultimately Janet Cooper, an ordinary woman who is considered the underdeveloped planet, destroying the pride and greatness of a Yargo with a kiss and love. Very very amazing..

[Olga Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was published posthumously since the author's husband found the draft after the author had passed away. She was much more famous for other, very different books. I read this when I was 16 or 17. As I recall it's the story of a young woman who is having second thoughts about marrying in the near future. Pondering this in a remote area, she is whisked away by aliens to another planet. Here she encounters an amazing society--one which has eliminated all reason or need for emotions. She grows while living among this advanced society. They, however, grow from learning about her (and through her, our society) as well. The ending was really interesting, too. I remember really loving this book and reading it 2 or 3 times. Recommend!

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, let's be honest, it's not wildly brilliant in terms of writing, variety of character and sense of scope, but its plot development, daddy-based psychiatry (which actually lifted the whole book towards the end and made me realise the author had far more of a handle than expected). Susann was rumored to have been incredibly naive when it came to matters of the flesh (in an article featured in Vanity Fair, Susann didn't even know how much semen came out of the average male - I'm not being crude, she really didn't have a clue!) but this book in its light romantic tint and sense of ambition (Janet travelling as far as Chicago beforehand, thereafter going interplanetary!) made this a nice, easy romp. Go bananas. Reading should be for fun.

[Arlene Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

From an author best known for tell all type sex/drugs novels came an unbelievably wonderful science fiction adventure romance. Tame by today's standards in terms of sex, the adventure is edge of your seat, the plot well executed, the characters likeable and believable, and the romance - just dreamy! Modern paranormal authors should take note - this is how it's done by a master. (I was watching the skies for the meteor shower and this book just came to mind.)

[Alcqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first Sci-book I ever read. I secretly read this book in my room at night. It belonged to my mom. I thought I was too young (grade 6 or 7) to read it, at least until she caught me. I was reading the book at the dining room table in plain view. We laughed about it for months. I was so happy and comfortable reading this book. I simply refused to put it down. Once I finished it, I was saddened that there was no sequel to it.

[Ajay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by my Mum again in the 80s. I had never read a Science fiction novel before this one. And I did not know that this was totally out of character for Jacqueline Susann. But well, the story has stayed with me all these years, for this very reason I will have to give it 5 stars. Maybe I am being emotional, but I really enjoyed this Sci Fi love story. Let me add here that I haven't gone on and read other Susann novels. This was just the one.

[Ami E. Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember finding a paperback of this book amid a bunch of boxes destined for the goodwill at a neighbor's house when I was in my early teens back in the 1980sand once I began reading I simply couldn't put it down. I had never before heard of Jacqueline Susanne or read any of her other work but her foray into sci-fi completely captured my young heart and imagination and this book will remain a beloved classic.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My aunt recommended this book to me when I was 15 yrs old and I have never ever forgotten this one....was the first romantic book that had me looking at the sky in the dark of night....hoping and waiting for something to happen or someone to come! Indeed a nice break from all "vampires" and "fallen angels" stories :)

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was in high school. I loved it so much!!!! I have never been able to get my hands on another copy of this book. MUST. FIND. IT!!!!!