Book 28 - Dolls Dolls Dolls

Title: Valley of the Dolls

Author: Jacqueline Susann

Genre: old-hollywood-glam fiction

The more I think about this book, the more miserable it makes me feel. Great start, right? Read this book - it'll make me mad, sad, and in general just feel bad. The three women at the centre of this story, so similar in many ways but with their own unique set of circumstances, reflect the world that created them, all while barrelling towards something inevitable. Something harrowing.

The writing itself is not excellent; the dialogue often feels blocky and overwrought, and at times the prose is just long blocks of text. However...it has a certain quality to it, something that draws you in as a reader. Maybe it's the sensation of falling - these characters, in this world, are on such an unsustainable path that you can't help dragging them there with every flip of a page.

This book is a precursor to City of Girls and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which I would argue are far superior works of fiction. However, it's important to consider this book in the time in which it was published (1966). Misogyny, homophobia, and fat-shaming run rampant, and at times it's a tough pill (heh heh) to swallow - but it does provide a snapshot in time, and demonstrates the growth that has already taken place in this world.

And the ugliness that still exists.

Rating: 🍓🍓🍓