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Valley of the Dolls (1966)

by Jacqueline Susann

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Valley of the Dolls (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
3,738813,313 (3.57)172
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.… (more)
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» See also 172 mentions

English (76)  German (2)  Italian (1)  Catalan (1)  French (1)  All languages (81)
Showing 1-5 of 76 (next | show all)
A gossipy favorite. I needed to read something historical from various POV's, and this didn't disappoint. Drama on high, lol ( )
  LakitaWilson | Jan 6, 2024 |
fabulously depressing, valley of the dolls is the perfect showbusiness corruption story. it highlights the decadence and alienation of the entertainment industry, whilst also commenting on the social restrictions placed on women in this era - all in a very camp manner (probably not intended, but a highlight nonetheless). i loved jennifer and anne (and had a love-hate relationship with neely), and found their stories fascinating. an intimately camp portrait of a descent into, well, the valley of the dolls. ( )
  sylvarum | Oct 26, 2023 |
I read this in high school... goodness knows why. I didn't particularly enjoy it, though it does keep moving along and kind of holds you in town hoping that eventually things will go right for the characters or that they will have some insight into their lives and take a little responsibility or face up and change eventually... but it never happens. This has got to be one of the most depressing books I've ever read. Unfortunately I can't even really say it presents women in a bad light or unfairly, because I still know women like this. I think this novel is a kind of anti-feminist classic; a kind of cautionary tale that maybe all teen girls should read so they don't ever grow up to be mindless bimbos who - despite their brains and talent and success and friendships with other women - STILL define themselves and their happiness entirely through the eyes and desires of men.
  magnetgrrl | Sep 13, 2023 |
This book is way too long and the characters are dull. Neely O’Hara was the worst if all. I wanted to finish it to say I read it but it was a bit of a chore. ( )
  bookburner451 | Nov 19, 2022 |
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! ( )
  MaraBlaise | Jul 23, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 76 (next | show all)
Paru en 1966, La Vallée des poupées a provoqué un scandale qui fait un peu sourire aujourd'hui. Jacqueline Susann (1918-1974) parle de liberté sexuelle, de petites pilules colorées qui apaisent [...]
added by vibesandall | editTelerama (Jul 13, 2016)
 
Valley of the Dolls is a zipper-ripper that has been called trashy, tawdry, glitzy, lusty, sordid and seamy — and that's just the beginning of its appeal.
 
Valley Of The Dolls can be enjoyed as the ultimate plush, trash, human-interest story - three decades of gossip columns distilled into one fat novel - but also as a document of some cultural interest, published as it was in 1966, but spanning the years from optimistic postwar 1945 to world-weary pre-deluge 1963. Kierkegaard's theorem that life can only be lived forwards and understood backwards has been used as an excuse to dignify a lot of silly, frivolous cultural frills and furbelows with far greater significance than they actually had - including the mini-skirt, Barbie dolls and atheism. But the sheer breadth and depth of this particular disco-ball gives it lasting clout.
added by Nevov | editThe Guardian, Julie Burchill (Nov 15, 2003)
 
One of the sexiest novels ever written.
added by vibesandall | editEarl Wilson
 
A bonafide, ahead-of-its-time American classic.
added by vibesandall | editBookPage
 

» Add other authors (17 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Jacqueline Susannprimary authorall editionscalculated
Dèttore, MariapaolaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Dedication
To Josephine who sat at my feet, positive I was writing a sequel*
*but most of all to Irving
First words
You've got to climb to the top of Mount Everest to reach the Valley of the Dolls.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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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.

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Book description
VIRAGO EDITION:
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 beautiful women become best friends when they are young and idealistic and struggling at the bottom of the ladder of the entertainment industry.

By the time they reach the top, they discover there is no place to go but down - into the Valley of the Dolls.
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Average: (3.57)
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