April's book - Elaine Dundy's The Dud Avocado - was recommended to me by a customer when I worked in Waterstones. Since then, I've had it in the back of my mind as a guaranteed good read. But was it?
Did you read it? Did you like it? You'll find my thoughts (such as they are...) over the cut and I'd love to hear yours via the comments.
Well. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I found that I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but didn't feel compelled to pick it up. It certainly seemed to be ahead of its time and there were some very good lines, but I found that I didn't care that much about Sally Jay and I got a bit bored with her whining and melodrama.
I do think parts of it will stick in my mind and I'm glad that I read it, but I won't be recommending it to anyone, I'm afraid.
Disagree with me? Let me know in the comments.
OK, it's a while since I read it, and I do remember Sally Jay as a bit flighty, but I really loved the book and have recommended it AND loaned it out to people. (In fact, I recommended it at Trashionista: http://www.trashionista.com/2007/06/underrated-cult.html)
It compelled me to find out more about Elaine Dundy and to read her autobiog ('Life Itself!') to see how like Sally Jay she was. (That book is an eye-opener, is all I'm sayin'). I was a bit Dud-obsessed for a while there.
It really is ahead of its time and I think an early example of chick lit - it's about a young single woman in Paris, with pink hair, hanging around with a load of bohemians and looking for love (or fun) and the meaning of life. Plus, the title is one of the most original ever.
If other readers liked it, I'd love to know which books they thought it was like?
Posted by: Diane | 28 April 2009 at 12:31 PM
Ok, that link didn't work! Will this?
http://www.trashionista.com/2007/06/underrated-cult.html
Posted by: Diane | 28 April 2009 at 12:35 PM
Yep, second link worked. I thought it was very chick-litty too and I also want to read Dundy's autobiog (tho am a bit afraid to now!).
Posted by: Keris | 28 April 2009 at 12:39 PM
Ha, don't be *too* afraid, there's just a few chapters about her marriage to Kenneth Tynan and his obsesssion with S&M, which I wasn't really expecting... There's some other more innocent stuff in there too, though! x
Posted by: Diane | 28 April 2009 at 01:48 PM
I'm really struggling with this book as I don't care very much for Sally Jay either and have a tottering pile of books waiting to be read...
I'll try a little longer but so far I'm with Keris on the whining and melodrama...
Posted by: Wendy | 29 April 2009 at 08:08 PM
I really enjoyed this book, maybe it was because I read it in the garden, in the sunshine when we had the lovely Easter weather.
I couldn't believe it had been written in the 1950's, it does seem timeless.
I thought like others that it was way ahead of it's time, a young girl, living alone in a foreign country, sleeping around, staying out all night partying - shock horror.
The one book book that I thought it had a resemblance to was Breakfast at Tiffany's - maybe it was just the simalirity with Holly Golightly.
Posted by: Cara | 01 May 2009 at 12:43 PM
Ooh, that's a good comparison Cara, I loved BaT too. x
Posted by: Diane | 02 May 2009 at 10:55 PM