Valley of the Dolls

Author: Jacqueline Susann

Rating: ⭐ 3/5

Date Read: 2013/07/12

Pages: 449

If I’m going to rate this book by quality of writing, I’d have to give it 2 stars. This book is full of the kind of pedestrian writing that you see in books like [b:Trading Up|178813|Trading Up|Candace Bushnell|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351341588s/178813.jpg|2011131], which I read for about 100 pages in high school before I get fed up with the writing and passed it on to someone with more plebeian tastes. Seriously guys, it’s real bad.

However, the trashiness of the plot made this book so fun to read despite the bad writing and campiness, which means I’d rate it 4 stars based on pure enjoyment. This was a perfect vacation read. I’m splitting the difference and giving it 3 stars.

How shall I describe Valley of the Dolls? Imagine Mad Men, which is retro and well acted and generally excellent. Now imagine that Bravo did a contrived reality show to capitalize on the success of Mad Men, about the “Real” Housewives/Kept Women of 1950’s Manhattan/Los Angeles, and you’ll pretty much get Valley of the Dolls.