Valley of the Dolls

Customer Reviews

• A Cosmo-type read that's actually intriguing  Dec 23, 2001 (38 of 41 found this helpful)

  If you're like me, you never read romance novels, never watch soap operas, and shun editorial trash like Cosmopolitan. But in this age of girl-power books (i.e. Bridget Jones, et al), "Valley Of The Dolls" has become popular once again, and a whole new crowd (the twentysomething female market)is now exposed to this cult classic.

  And you know what? It's intriguing. It's captivating. Set back in the 50s, you heark back to the days of glamour girls, Hollywood pictures, and dapper leading men. In each chapter, Susann fleshes out the character portraits of 3 girls who made it big, rags-to-riches style: Anne--a model, Jennifer--a starlet, and Neely--a singer. I hate to admit it, but I was entranced by their stories of sex, scandal, and downward spiral into prescription drug addiction. It's drama about drama queens. I would ordinarily dismiss this book as trashy romance genre--but like others, i can't. Why? well, Susann wrote this book as a groundbreaker--It was written almost 50 years ago but the tales are so incredibly modern you'd think Susann was writing about modern-day life. She paved the way for the tell-all expose, the behind-the-scenes scandals, the agony and ecstasy, the poor problems of the rich and famous. It was "Dynasty" before "Dynasty" was even invented. It was a shocker, and it's tragic. You're not going to find much humor in this novel at all, especially being that the "Dolls" that the book revolves around are drugs. An added benefit of reading "Valley of the Dolls" is that it transports the reader back into the yesteryear; I feel like I'm in a black-and-white movie with Garbo and Monroe--Susann's detail for creating ambience are very much appreciated.

  If you think this book is flimsy beach reading--it's not. It really gave way to a whole new genre. Sure, it's no Shakespeare--but make this the one exception. Although it may be G-rated compared to today's fiction fare, Susann's subtle flair for storytelling is surprisingly solid, with twists and turns to keep you on your feet.

• AMAZING...the best book that I've ever read!  May 24, 1998 (13 of 14 found this helpful)

  VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is more addictive than the pills that its heroines take. Sure, its trashy, but trash is by far the most entertaining form of literature. The story of three women's fame and descent into a miserable state of drug use and alchohol is entertaining all the way through. You learn to get to know the characters. You also get to love them, hate them, sympathize for them...its completely spellbinding. I looked forward to picking it up every night, and each night it was practically impossible to put it down ("COME ON..stop reading! You have to go to school tomorrow!") But I got to sleep easily, because each night after I reluctantly put the book down I would fondly recall what I had read. Its just fantastic...maybe I'll read it again. If you're a fan of the movie, I reccomend it even more. Its MUCH better than the film (which I LOVE). Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy, NOW!!!

• What a way to start off the New Year!  Jan 6, 2006 (9 of 9 found this helpful)

  Doesn't it seem like the best books are the ones that you've had on your wish list forever and just seemed to keep skipping over? I've had Jacqueline Susann's `VALLEY OF THE DOLLS' on my Amazon wish list for years and never got around to actually ordering it but I decided to start of the New Year with something different and this cult classic was just what the doctor ordered!
  
  Anne, the wide-eyed girl from Lawrenceville escapes her doomed future as a housewife by moving to New York City in hopes of finding a life for herself. But no sooner than she arrives and gets settled in her new job and home does she end up on the cover of every newspaper and the talk of the town. But over the years Anne learns that the life she'd always dreamed of wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.
  
  Neely is seventeen with all the enthusiasm her little body can handle. A performer in vaudeville since childhood Neely has what it takes to be a star. She is the ultimate triple threat she dances, sings like no other and can act too! Inevitably, by the age of twenty-one Neely becomes the biggest star around; unfortunately her ego grows just as big as her rising star. And with the help of her red, yellow and green "dolls" washed down with a little scotch nothing can stop her.
  
  Jennifer has the face and the body to go far, however all she really wants is love. But unfortunately love doesn't pay the bills. And after a few failed marriages to some of Hollywood's most prominent players Jennifer realizes that her body is her ticket to stardom. Soon she becomes Europe's biggest star... because in Europe anything goes.
  
  I absolutely could not put this book down. Originally it was the old school style that hooked me, I felt like I was watching an old movie with the 1960's dialogue such as "Hey, what's this, a gag?" or the regular use of the words geez and golly but soon I was sucked in by the lives of Anne, Neely and Jennifer as they each rose to stardom and fell just as easily.
  

• like a SOAP OPERA... only better  Mar 5, 2001 (7 of 7 found this helpful)

  This book was entertaining from the first few pages... it's long, but it doesn't seem tooooo long and doesn't drag on. It tracks the lives of three girls... and has ups and downs that the reader feels and experiences. Incredibly well written with not a slow moment. It seems timeless to me... of course, show business has changed, and drugs are easier to come by and more common.... this book appeals to people of all generations. ENJOY it over and over.

• Classic trashy novel that is just spellbinding  Jan 24, 2001 (7 of 7 found this helpful)

  This is my favorite Jacqueline Susann. I first read all of her books back in the 70's, when their shock value was much greater than today. I picked up all three again when they were re-released and have thoroughly enjoyed them all over again. Susann is the bottom of the junk-trash novel and yet her stories are compelling and interesting. Maybe just for the lack of character all of her characters have.

  Dolls starts in New York, where Anne, Neely, and Jennifer have all arrived to climb the ladder of fame and fortune. Anne takes a job with a theatrical attorney, and meets both Neely and Jennifer through her job. They become friends, and so begins their story. From New York to California to Paris, they all become successes and all have to deal with their own deamons. With Neely, it's her drive for success and her addition to drugs. With Jennifer, it's her greedy family and her conviction that her body is the only asset that she has. With Anne, it's her cold, sheltered childhood and her obsession with a self-centered egotistical man.

  The other character I must mention is Helen, the Broadway star, who is professional and revered on-stage and a sniping, childlike, phony off-stage. She pulls Anne into her web briefly, but her hard edged tactics soon push Anne away. They reach amazing highs, fall into abyssmal lows, and all crash hard. Yet this book remains an amazing read, you can't put it down though your mouth is gaping open at the excessivness of it all. Plus, it is more enjoyable to this generation, I think, because of the very real environment of the area it was written in. Definately worth price, and don't feel guilty for enjoying it!!