Rating: 
Summary: Walking through the Valley of the dolls...
Review: One month ago, I didn't know who Jacqueline Susann was. A friend of mine advised me to read this book, and the least I can say is that I don't regret it. I have enjoyed each word, line and page of it : 447 pages of great delight to the eye, 447 pages of intense life told in a way so strong and vibrant that you can't even imagine these girls went only out of Jacqueline Susann's inspired mind. Her description of the stardom system is so striking, amazing, and above all frightening. The rise and fall of the three heroines, their fight for money, for love, betrayals...everything looks so real. After so many ups and downs along the road, they've finally reached the top, the so-called « Mount Everest », but it had cost them so much... Jennifer falls before the end of the climb, the « shooting star » Neely suffers from too high altitude/attitude sickness and Anne, in a way, is the only "survivor" of this terrible 20 year journey...to the valley of the dolls. Better not climb too high surely is the moral of this wonderful story which ended too fast ! One of the best books I've ever read ! ! ! Thank you so much Miss Susann for this great novel.
Rating: 
Summary: A Cosmo-type read that's actually intriguing
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Dolls Are Bad, But Who Cares
Review: This is a wonderful book. I read once and could never put it down. I read after I saw the movie Isn't She Great, which is about the author. This book is about the friendships of Anne, Jennifer, and Neely. They all become famous and start taking "dolls." Dolls are pills, uppers, and downers. Neely becomes a famous actress, who ends up, in a rehab. She makes a come back though. Anne goes from being a secretary to a model for make-up on TV. She has a couple of men in the book, Allen, Kevin, and Lyon Burke. She ends up still on dolls, but married to a cheating Lyon, and has a kid. Jennifer goes from being married to a prince, to be married to Tony. She gets pregnant, but has an abortion, when she finds out the horrible truth about Tony. Then she becomes an actress, who in makes "dirty" movies, in France. Then she comes to back to America. She finds out she has lumps on her ovaries. She has them removed, along with a lump in her breast. They tell her she needs to have her breast removed. She refuses, and goes home and takes a whole bottle of red "dolls." Also know as the powerful sleeping pills Secondals. There is a movie based on this book. I feel that the movie screwed up this book. I think this is great for everyone
Rating:
Summary: The One That Got Me Hooked...On Books!
Review: I read this book when I was a seven year old second grader in public school. It's the first adult novel I ever read, and I LOVED it. The actress Neely, Jennifer the starlet, and the model named Anne are three friends who end up with one thing in common, the red seconal sleeping pills they refer to as "Dolls." No, I didn't think I was picking up book about Barbies when I was so young, but ironically, these "dolls" ARE barbiturates, so they COULD be called Barbies after all. ............. I read this wonderfully written novel with rapt interest, then re-read it a few more times too. The late Jaqueline Susann spins a tale that is timeless and fascinating from beginning to end. The rise and subsequent fall of three women, chronicled with fascinatingly sharp writing, really puts a firm picture of everything in your mind as you read. There's enough deceit, treachery (especially between Neely O'Hara and Helen Lawson) tragedy, heartbreak, and of course, love and sex, to keep your interest throughout. This book is a wild ride that you'll want to take more than once, and once you start reading, it's hard to put this one down. The characters lives are expertly woven together, without a dull moment in between. ............... Having read this and been so thrilled at how absorbing the reading experience could be, (don't forget, this was my first real literary experience), I rushed to my local used book store and bought Susanns other two bestselling novels, "The Love Machine" and "Once Is Not Enough." I enjoyed those too, but "Valley..." is still my favorite by Susann. .............. Read this book, and see the movie version with Patty Duke as Neely, Barbara Parkins as Anne, and Sharon Tate as Jennifer. The movie is as classically entertaining as the book, a rarity. Usually, a movie version of a book disappoints me, but not in this case. ................ For real film buffs, there is also the hilarious Russ Meyer/Roger Ebert (yes, the famous reviewer) outing "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" which is how I picture an acid trip in the 60s might've been like, only captured on celluloid. It really doesn't have much to do with the original story, it's a spoof. It's also a rarity that's extremely dated, yet in a great way that's so bad, it's good. ............ "Valley Of The Dolls" is a classic read that will never leave you bored. Like me, you might get hooked forever...on BOOKS that is....
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: i am a jackie collins fan and usually read only her books until someone one day suggested this book. It was amazing and i couldnt put it down. I would suggest this book to anyone especially jackie collins fans
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Dolls
Review: I'm probably not saying anything new, but I'll say it anyway. I absolutely LOVE this book. My mother gave me my first copy of the book when I was 14-15. For the first six months it lay unread on a shelf. Then one day, having nothing else to read, I decided to give it a try. I read it in one sitting! As soon as I finished, I turned back to the beginning and started again. Now I'm on my fourth copy. I couldn't even begin to count how many times I've read it. Most people ask me why. Well, I love re-reading great books. That's as simple as I can state it. Susann begins with Anne arriving in NYC in 1945. It was right after WWII. The novel ends in 1965--20 years and a lifetime later. Of course, anyone who has even read a review knows that the three main characters are: Anne, Neely, and Jennifer. Susann describes the characters and situations they're placed in so vividly you think you're looking in on them, not reading about them. Their lives revolve around the entertainment business. Anne is the blonde New England beauty who begins as a secretary for an entertainment firm (against the advice of people who tell her to go to modelling agencies.) Neely starts as an enthusiastic, bubbly teenager. And Jennifer begins as the sexpot. As the story progresses, so do the characters. Not just the main three, though. Susann throws in plenty of extras and rounds them out as well. There's Lyon Burke, the love of Anne's life. He's handsome, charming, and a bit stand-offish at first. Henry (Anne's boss, then friend) Tony Polar, Jen's singing-sensation husband who was born with an incurable brain disorder. Tony's sister, Miriam, who at first seems like a miserly spinster. Then we find out that she's really just looking out for her brother. Helen Lawson (can't forget to mention her!) is THE Broadway star, stressing the Broad part. She seems like a battleaxe, and often times has to be, but is very lonely. All of these characters age, grow and intermix with each other over the span of the book. Their relationships change, their attitudes change, but most importantly, THEY change. Aside from the characters and imagery however, is the seedy side of glamour. Everyone loves that. If we didn't, tabloids would be out of business. The affairs, the sex, the betrayals and (naturally) the drugs play an intrical part of each character's life.
Even though "Dolls" is approaching it's 40th anniversary, it doesn't seem stale. Some of it is a little dated, to be sure. Broadway isn't the entertainment staple it once was, and television is huge now. Movies are still around, but most of the glamour and glitz is gone. The best part of Susann's writing is that she makes her characters so believable. We can compare them to modern day people. It's this factor that makes it a modern classic (sorry for the oxymoron) I highly recommend this to anyone, but just reading reviews and listening to fans babble about it isn't going to give one a clear picture. Pick it up at the library, borrow it from a friend, whatever. But READ this book--it's absolutely wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Good Read
Review: I've read this book so many times. First time I read it I was 13 years old (and a male to boot). I remember my mother receiving it from the Doubleday Book of the Month Club; then she passed it on to my grandmother and I found it and snuck it home. I'm 47 now and I've pratcially memorized the book. I remember the paperback had a white background, a purple background and now a pink one. I enjoyed the movie for obvious camp reasons....but I just wonder how the movie would have fared if the director and producers followed the exact plotline as the book.....starting back in New York after World War II when Anne is walking to a job interview and all the way up to 1964 when Anne overhears Lyon and Margie Parks kissing in the bedroom on New Years eve. Now THAT would have been a great mini-series on TV!
Rating:
Summary: delightful trash
Review: Make no mistake, this isn't really a book that makes you think all that much. It's fun fluff, and that's the beauty of it. The story revolves aroun 3 women and their lives in the entertainment industry and how that industry led to their destruction and drug use.
It's a fun book for a weekend read!
Rating:
Summary: SPARKLE, NEELY, SPARKLE: Petition FOX for a DVD release!
Review: If you're reading this review, then you're ovbviously a fan of the book "VALLEY OF THE DOLLS". Chances are, you also like the film version of this book. If you're not in a coma, then I'm sure that you, like me, desperately want this great film to be released on DVD. So let's all band together and take some action! Let's all write FOX STUDIOS and petition to have "VALLEY OF THE DOLLS" released as a DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION WIDESCREEN DVD with plenty of extras! Please simply print-out the following open letter on your computer, and mail it to FOX and DEMAND that we get this on DVD as soon as possible!!! Dear Fox Studios: I hereby declare that "Valley of the Dolls" is THE best motion picture of all-time, and I insist and demand that you release it on DVD in a DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION as soon as possible! "VALLEY OF THE DOLLS" deserves a DVD presentation that includes: *Original W I D E S C R E E N presentation!
*Deleted scenes and out-takes! *Restored theatrical release with the unedited love scene with Sharon Tate!
*Interviews with cast members!
*Judy Garland's unused scenes and out-take scenes!
*Judy Garland's soundtrack version of "I'll Plant My Own Tree!"
*Original theatrical trailers from "VOD" and other Jacqueline Susann films!!
*Interviews with Jacqueline Susann!
*Photo galleries!
*Costume tests with Judy Garland and other cast members!
*Stereo 5.1 Surround-Sound!
*Digitally-enhanced and restored film print-transfer to DVD!
*Trivia information, such as how and why Marilyn Monroe's voice was used in the film! (They also used one of Marilyn Monroe's costumes from "There's No Business Like Show Business!)
*Any and all additional extras that you can possibly pack onto the DVD disc! Let's get going on this, it's already been too long for this fabulous film to be released on DVD! Sincerely,
(Your Name Here) I'm serious! The only way to get this FABULOUS movie on DVD at last is to let FOX know how much we want it! I hope you'll all take some action to make it happen.
In the meantime, remember to get up at 5 in the morning and "Sparkle, Neely, sparkle"!!!
Rating:
Summary: Doll of a Book!
Review: I loved this book. One of the best reading experiences I've had in awhile! Especially for a book of its size! The story never gets stale or dull, the characters never lose your interest. In fact, in some ways, the story grips your interest tighter and tighter as it progresses and doesn't even let go on the last page! Some of the best writing I've come across in a long time as well. It was over 400 pages and I just couldn't put it down! Be prepared to read it 100 pages at a time (if you're lucky and don't read it all the way through)! While certainly a decadent story, it isn't in any way empty fluff. Despite their obvious and sometimes heinous character flaws you definately are captivated and endeared to the main characters and even some side characters! Yet at the same time it manages to not be wholly depressing - just unapologetically real! And the lighthearded, humorous moments that occur naturally act further to attach you to the story and the book. The book didn't foster any emotional reactions, as tales of tradgedy and such usually do. But I think it was meant that way. Because the characters AREN'T necessarily tragic! Just struggling. And their struggles definately create a hunger to get to their conclusions - no matter what they may be, happy endings or further tradgedies. The only negative thing about this book is its reflection of real life. Its not escapism, its not a fairy tale. Its just a doll of a book!
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