Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls

Sometimes, when I read a book, I am mesmerized, and it takes very little for me to fall in love with the author. A great kind of books these ones.

I found Valley of the Dolls in a charity shop. An old, tattered, paperback copy.

I bought it because I knew the title, and I have seen a movie a long time ago, about a cleaner that wrote the book (this book) and then had phenomenal success with it.

I read it and loved it. I loved the story, the characters, the way it is written. It draws you in and it makes you feel an organic need to read on, so you know what happens. Might not be to everyone’s taste though. As nothing is, I suppose.

At its time it was deemed trashy and junk. I quite enjoyed it.

I did a bit of research and found out that the writer was no cleaner and that the movie was just fiction. Disappointing but not really! And as much as I tried to find that movie I could not, so I might be confusing it.

Jacqueline Susann, the actual author of the book, was quite a character and after watching online some interviews with her, I liked her even more.

As a wanna-be writer, I always look at other writers and try to figure out how did they do it, to see what I can learn from them to apply to my own work.

Not sure there is a secret though, it might be just hard work and perseverance. I loved the ease with which Jacqueline Susann spoke about her writing and her flow of ideas.

I did not buy her other books new as they are a bit expensive, but I might have to as I have slim chance of finding them in the charity shops in Ireland.

You never know though.

Here's hoping! Here’s to the search!