Cult novel by Jacqueline Suzanne "Valley of the Dolls"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Everything changes in our world: generations, times, customs. But the desire to achieve fame and fame, or at least a little contact with this world full of luxury and we alth, was, is and will always be. Many women and men strive at all costs to get that very coveted place under the sun. Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold. People often forget about this and fly to the imaginary light of this cherished dream, like butterflies to a fire that burns everything in itself to ashes…

Biography

American writer was born August 20, 1918 in Philadelphia. Despite her high intellectual abilities, after graduating from school, Jacqueline decides to become an actress. She travels to New York, where she marries agent Irving Mansfield. It was thanks to her husband that Jacqueline received her first roles in the theater, and then in the cinema. In 1946, the couple had a son, Guy, who was sick with autism. His parents sent him to a special institution,which Jacqueline later regretted.

In the 50s, Jacqueline Susanne works as a journalist for a New York newspaper, and in the 60s she publishes her first book, Josephine, about her dog. This is followed by a difficult period - she is diagnosed with breast cancer. After a mastectomy, the disease recedes.

In 1966, world fame comes to her after the publication of the novel "Valley of the Dolls". Then four more books were published, which also became very popular. In 1972, her he alth deteriorated - she was again diagnosed with cancer. Jacqueline spent the last weeks of her life in a coma. Without regaining consciousness, she died on September 21, 1974.

Valley of the Dolls

It was this love story that brought the writer unheard of popularity. Initially, they did not want to publish it, as it reveals all the secrets of the behind-the-scenes life of celebrities. Jacqueline Susann's book is about three young girls with big ambitions and hopes who face many problems, the solution of which is sex, drugs and alcohol. Each of them wants to get into show business at any cost and become part of Hollywood, and most of all they are afraid of being unnecessary and lonely, being left alone with themselves. Everything is here: ups and downs, love and betrayal, friendship and betrayal. To escape from real life, the characters in the book resort to drug use, which eventually leads to the inevitable. The phrase of one of them accurately describes not only the idea of the book itself, but also the life of a woman in general:

I realized something in life: a man will leave you, your facewill grow old, your children will grow up and become adults, and everything that you considered grandiose and majestic will turn out to be small, meaningless, unnecessary and worthless. The only thing you can count on is yourself.

What does the title of the book mean?

The heroines of the "Valley of the Dolls" after the first disappointments sit down on barbiturates, popular at that time among the stars of show business. They were called by the cute word "chrysalis". And the very phrase "Valley of the Dolls" implies the location of the book - Hollywood.

Main characters

Anne is considered the main character of the love story. Having a strong character and attractive appearance, she comes to New York - not for fame, but in search of herself and a good future. Ann takes a job with attorney Henry Bellamy. She could always trust him like no one else. With work, our heroine gains new acquaintances and interests, and also meets a man with whom she falls in love with no memory and is ready for anything for him. By the way, she managed to become a successful model, but the insincerity and betrayal of a loved one and loved ones lead to a disappointing ending.

In the book, Ann meets two girls who become her friends. The first is Nili, who dreams of fame and a career as an actress. Thanks to Ann, she achieves incredible success in this field. But despite this, Nili betrays her friend more than once. Such qualities as devotion, decency, herare not inherent. Addiction to alcohol and a bad character reduce all her efforts to achieve success to nothing. As a result, the girl is left alone with her biggest fear - loneliness. Her life is derailed due to her addiction to alcohol and drugs.

The third heroine of the novel is Jennifer. A beautiful girl who, with the help of her beauty, paves her way into the future. She, like Nili, is an actress, but her main goal is to find herself a we althy man who would protect her and provide for her. And Jennifer, as it seemed to her, found him. A handsome, sweet-voiced, rich singer proposes to her, and Jen marries him. But happiness did not last long. It turned out that her husband is sick, which radically changes her life for the worse. A girl has an abortion, starred in French porn films, and when she is diagnosed with cancer, she commits suicide with those same "dolls".

Film based on the book

In 1967, the eponymous American drama directed by Mark Robson, based on the book by Jacqueline Suzanne, was released. The film is somewhat different from the book, it misses more than one important point, which makes it difficult to navigate, after which this or that event occurred. But despite the shortcomings in the script, the film turned out to be wildly popular. This is evidenced by the multi-million dollar box office.

But still the film is worth watching for a number of reasons. The cast will certainly please you, even Jacqueline Susann herself plays the role of a reporter in one of the episodes. Starring starredsuch stars of that time:

• Barbara Parkins as Ann Wells;
• Patty Duke - Neely O'Hara;
• Sharon Tate - Jennifer North;
• Tony Scotty - Tony Polar;
• Paul Burke - Lion Burke;
• Susan Hayward - Helen Lawson.

Also in this film, the music of the author John Williams and the song Valley of the Dolls performed by Dionne Warwick deserve special attention.

Facts about the novel

The book "Valley of the Dolls" is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most read in the world.

The manuscript of the novel was printed on pink paper in capital letters. It was in this form that Jacqueline Suzanne brought it to the publishing house.

It is believed that Judy Garland was the prototype of one of the heroines of the book. Events from the life of the singer became the storyline of Neely O'Hara.

Musical star Ethel Merman, who was the idol for the author, is embodied in the character of the novel by Helen Lawson.