‘Valley of the Dolls’ by Jacqueline Susann

For me personally, the title Valley of the Dolls conjures up a very specific scene, that of the San Fernando Valley in the mid-to-late 1980s, featuring women so immaculately preened and toned as to resemble the titular plastic playthings, with plenty of shoulder pads and peplums thrown in for good measure. As is often the case, however, my expectations were laughably off the money and a much too literal interpretation of the title. In actual fact, the only valley in Jacqueline Susann’s cult 1966 novel is a metaphorical one, and the only ‘dolls’ are the zany-coloured pills used to get there. Furthermore, the novel is mostly set in New York City, an entire nation away from the San Fernando Valley, and the narrative runs from 1945 to 1964, long before anybody had even thought of the 1980s…or shoulder pads for that matter. The main players in Valley of the Dolls are Anne, Jennifer and Neely, three uniquely beautiful young women negotiating the dizzying highs and soul-destroying lows of the entertainment industry together.

I have a confession to make - I’m reviewing Valley of the Dolls without actually having finished it. Why, you ask? In all honesty, having read as far as page 300, I am a little bored. Its not that Valley of the Dolls is a bad novel - I would have relinquished it far earlier if this were indeed the case - but for a supposed 'cult classic’ it is really rather disappointing. I have to commend Susann for writing a book so wildly ahead of its time, and one that touches on a range of still-relevant feminist issues and whatnot, however I feel no pressing need to read on, only to move on to something more unique and compelling. The real beauty of Valley of the Dolls is that it is highly accessible and will no doubt appeal to a wide variety of readers, but what it boasts of in charm it lacks in pace and linguistic flair. I am glad I read as far as I did and all, yet I’m afraid that Valley of the Dolls did little for me besides kill time.

This piece was originally published on alisonlaurabell.tumblr.com in June 2012.