Gone Dollywood: Dolly Parton’s Mountain Dream

by Graham Hoppe

Dolly Parton isn’t just a country music superstar. She has built an empire. At the heart of that empire is Dollywood, a 150-acre fantasy land that hosts three million people a year. Parton’s prodigious talent and incredible celebrity have allowed her to turn her hometown into one of the most popular tourist destinations in America. The crux of Dollywood’s allure is its precisely calibrated Appalachian image, itself drawn from Parton’s very real hardscrabble childhood in the mountains of east Tennessee. What does Dollywood have to offer besides entertainment? What do we find if we take this remarkable place seriously? How does it both confirm and subvert outsiders’ expectations of Appalachia? What does it tell us about the modern South, and in turn what does that tell us about America at large? How is regional identity molded in service of commerce, and what is the interplay of race, gender, and class when that happens? In Gone Dollywood, Graham Hoppe blends tourism studies, celebrity studies, cultural analysis, folklore, and the acute observations and personal reflections of longform journalism into an unforgettable interrogation of Southern and American identity.

Genres: Nonfiction

168 pages, Hardcover

Published March 15, 2018

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Parts of this book were definitely intriguing, although admittedly I am biased because I was excited to read about Dolly and Dollywood. I think the author wasn't really sure of what he was writing. This book comes off in many ways as a stream of consciousness ramble about Dolly, her park, and the commercialization of Appalachia. I'd say at least 25% of this book is the author saying the same handful of comments about the artificial reality of Dollywood and Dolly's success from her "Backwoods Barbie" authenticity (the last 10% of this book was almost painful, with paragraph after paragraph saying essentially the same things). The rest is somewhat random dives into bits of history about the Confederate flag, Cracker Barrel, and country music--definitely interesting, yet surprising given what the book's title leads you to believe the author is going to present.

I'd suggest listening to the Dolly Parton's America podcast instead of reading this book if you'd like to spend time reading/listening to a better executed version of this book.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting sociological study of Dolly and Dollywood.

[Brooke Fradd · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could be subtitled "An Outsider Mansplains Saint Dolly's Success."

This seemed to be an essay that the author tried far too hard to turn into a full length book. An actual quote from the last chapter:

"The biggest difference, what fundamentally separates Dollywood and Graceland, is that Elvis is dead ... Dolly Parton is alive."

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been wanting to visit Dollywood since moving out East. I like Dolly Parton. She is smart, talented, and versatile and also very kind. I am having second thoughts about going now with all of the polarization going on in this country and I am concerned that a "snowflake" like me may not feel very welcome and may get offended by all the glorifying of the old South. I was very amused to hear that historically Tennessee fought on the side of the union and yet now embraces all this "heritage" business that to me symbolizes nothing but hate. From the book, it sounds as if the "selling of Confederacy flags, etc" is more Gatlinburg than Dollywood. On the other hand, I love the mountains. I love Dolly Parton, maybe I will go and wear a Black Lives Matter tee shirt or button and see if someone tries to beat me up. Or maybe a LBGQT advocacy shirt, and see what happens, maybe someone will pray for me. Or maybe I will go and just look for a good time, be myself (especially the part that loves all things country and kitschy) and enjoy myself. I haven't decided. I also, having heard a little Cracker Barrel history from a friend, enjoyed reading about it a little more in depth. The commercialization of "country". I have eaten at Cracker Barrel, I was curious, and I did enjoy looking at the wares in the "store". I do find it hilarious that Dolly has such a wide and diverse (conservatives and gays, probably not a lot of country fans that are not of a white pigment though) fan base, and they all LOVE her, and in return she loves them. So maybe a trip with my eyes and heart wide open may give me the opportunity to have some fun and who knows meet some people who like me, are there to have a good time.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perhaps my expectations for this book were unfairly high because I’m so invested in this topic, but I was massively disappointed. This is an incredibly important topic and the discussion surrounding it is vital in Appalachia and throughout the country right now. There was SO much potential for this book to be a success, but the writing was almost unbearable to work through and the author continually wrote in short, painfully circular sentences. He had so many great topics to discuss and he built the groundwork for something amazing— I kept expecting him to lay down some meaningful thoughts, but those never came- just the same preliminary, basic points again and again in an oddly patriarchal and condescending fashion even though he simultaneously kept repeating that that wasn’t his intent. I hope others continue to explore this topic in the near future- but if you’re looking for an impactful discussion of the complexities of racism, sexism, and politics in the mountains, you can skip over this one.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever wondered how Dolly Parton keeps such a tight control over her public persona and her theme park, this book does a fine job of explaining just how well she walks that very fine line. A must-read if you’re a fan of Parton’s music or her legendary philanthropy.

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read not only about Dolly Parton, the person, but I learned a lot about the history of the Great Smoky Mountains / Sevier County area and the people who lived there.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

while dollywood is obviously the main focus, it's also about the selling of the "southern image" in general. pretty interesting little peak behind the history of mountain tourism!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent unauthorized biography of a place and a woman who put it on the map.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A glimpse into several aspects of Appalachian life and culture, Sevier County, country music, and, of course, Dolly herself.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Though Hoppe draws some interesting conclusions throughout Gone Dollywood, I found the book to be heavily reliant on his own opinions with little to back them up. I didn't hate it—but I also wouldn't take a mildly pretentious-sounding essay about Appalachia written by someone from the Midwest as gospel truth.