Hi there! It's laugh-ou, I picked this one up per Terry Teachout's recommendation - he's the drama critic for the Wall Street Journal, and also wrote an excellent biography of H.L. Bottle that up at home with two failed attempts to produce a cis son undergoing their own coming of ages in plain view, and you get the type of parent that would be considered a "tiger mom" were she not the most supremacist in being the whitest thing on that side of the Atlantic, but that's not the story that this work tells. Anyway, this is another one of those "why haven't more people read this?" After graduating from Sweet Briar College in 1943 she worked as an actress in Paris and, later, London, where she met her future husband, the theater critic Kenneth Tynan. My Place (1962) Death in the Country (1976) (in Vogue, 1974.) American girls are just like avocados. The Dud Avocado tells the romantic and funny story of a young American who went to Paris in the late 1950s. It's the 1950s, she's young, and she's in … About The Dud Avocado. the dud avocado reads like a witty woman's take on the sun also rises, with the pink-haired protagonist sally jay gorce, an often silly struggling ingenue, going to parties, falling in love, and trying to find herself in paris in the fifties. This story of a fun-loving gal's y. I was prepared to give this a slightly lower rating (goodreads has got me thinking in stars) until the last forty or so pages, which are fabulous, probably perfect. Once in America Sally Jay once again changes her mind and decides to become a librarian. It's wish fulfillment that starts at fantasy and almost ends at reality- but not for this champag, American Innocents abroad, but the most adorable iteration of it I've ever read. When they actually behave worse, I am frankly incredulous.”. It's charming from page one, and just when you think that the book is nothing but verbal, Charming and evanescent, Elaine Dundy's novel of the madcap adventures of a young expatriate in Paris is a whirligig of a book. Often compared to Edith Wharton and Henry James who both wrote about American girls abroad, the Dud Avocado is a romantic and comedic adventure unlike anything I’ve read before. Dundy wrote three novels, The Dud Avocado (1958), The Old Man and Me (1964), and The Injured Party (1974); a play, My Place (produced in 1962); biographies of Elvis Presley and the actor Peter Finch; a study of Ferriday, Louisiana; and a memoir, Life Itself! With this choice for the the sixth decade in the Decades Project 2020 (see below) we … Refresh and try again. It should be that famous. Charming and evanescent, Elaine Dundy's novel of the madcap adventures of a young expatriate in Paris is a whirligig of a book. THE DUD AVOCADO gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living. Then she says 'It's zymotic'. It's the 1950s, she's young, and she's in … It's the 1950s, she's young, and she's in Paris. Why don't we read this instead of Hemingway!? Elaine Dundy (1921–2008) grew up in New York City and Long Island. I bought this on the street for $3. Dundy wrote three novels, The Dud Avocado (1958), The Old Man and Me (1964), and The Injured Party (1974); a play, My Place (produced in 1962); biographies of El. When they actually behave worse, I am frankly incredulous.”, “That's my answer to the question what is your strongest emotion, if you ever want to ask me: Curiosity, old bean. What ever could it be. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. Can someone please help me understand the last sentence of the book: what does Sally mean by "It's zymotic." Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. This oozes charm out every pore, or would if books were porous objects- which I suppose paper is, isn't it? The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. The three stars are for Paris, which I greatly miss, and where I've been in equal parts very happy and terribly unhappy. The Dud Avocado was published on January 12, 1958. To stay in contact Sally Jay auditions for several plays he is casting and lands a role. Bookseller Lucia Silva considers The Dud Avocado, by Elaine Dundy, "as fresh, sexy and modern as today's best chick-lit," despite the fact that it was originally published in … unfortunately, for me the book began to drag while she was there, and i found the ending was rushed, grafted on, and out of sync with the rest of the book, though i expect fans of happy endings will find it just right. What will you do when it's your turn to pick your book club's next read? It's an innocent abroad story - Sally Jay Gorce travels to Paris, pursues acting, loses her virginity, and does all the funny things you'd expect an inexperience girl to do in a foreign city. Sally Jay then breaks up with Teddy Visconti, the charming middle-aged Italian married man with a mistress she has been having an affair with since her arrival in Paris. ", the dud avocado reads like a witty woman's take on the sun also rises, with the pink-haired protagonist sally jay gorce, an often silly struggling ingenue, going to parties, falling in love, and trying to find herself in paris in the fifties. The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Wearing the right thing is a learned skill, but what I could tell her is that people. Because we've dug... To see what your friends thought of this book, Read the second to last line then you'll understand. (2001) (autobiography) Plays. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. After graduating from Sweet Briar College in 1943 she worked as an actress in Paris and, later, London, where she met her future husband, the theater critic Kenneth Tynan. Mencken. The Drowning (1976) Articles To soothe Judy, Sally Jay tells her she is going to Hollywood to act. It's the 1950s, she's young, and she's in Paris. The dud avocado by Elaine Dundy, 2007, New York Review Books edition, in English A delightful cross between "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and "A Moveable Feast". This is one of those novels that is hard to judge because it is alternately funny and charming and whimsical but also grating and annoying and stupid. ie literally the last word, in t, Read the second to last line then you'll understand. Sept. 13, 2007 11:12 pm ET Part One "I want you to meet Miss Gorce, she's in the embalming game." Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy's Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Not that great, but as usual, I copied some things I liked from it. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. She is witty and self-deprecating and her take on those around her is acerbic and amusing. THE DUD AVOCADO gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living. unfortunately, for me the book began to drag while she was there, and i found the ending was rushed, grafted on, and out of sync with. It is, as the Guardian observes, 'one of the best novels about growing up fast'. Larry briefly disappears from Sally Jay's life and she does some minor modelling work for Jim Breit, an American artist nearer her own age with whom she eventually has a relationship. This is absolutely the perfect coming-of-age/discovering-the-self novel for college-age and twenty-somethings to read. This article about a 1950s novel is a stub. I don't know. In this pointless pseudo-novel (actually a memoir), which reads like A Moveable Feast crossed with Sex and the City (yet somehow managing to surpass both in banality and narcissism), a young American expatriate in Paris deals with such vital problems as "if I could only figure out if it was Larry I was in love with, or just love" and the worry that she's too much of a stereotypical tourist (and then wondering if her worrying is i, If navel-gazing were a sport, Elaine Dundy would win olympic gold. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. This oozes charm out every pore, or would if books were porous objects- which I suppose paper is, isn't it? The Dud Avocado. It is a must-read book, especially for young women. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. Initially doubtful Sally Jay comes to realize that Larry intended to pimp her out to Baxter and stole her passport. The Dud Avocado Quotes Showing 1-30 of 62. The line is, 'It's the last word.' It's also funny and sweet and naive but can also be dark and never, I was prepared to give this a slightly lower rating (goodreads has got me thinking in stars) until the last forty or so pages, which are fabulous, probably perfect. ? The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. The Dud Avocado (New York Review Books Classics) by Elaine Dundy and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. At that point exactly, Dundy pulls a plot of the air that ties together Sally Jay's random adventures and will make you clap a hand across your mouth in disbelief and cry, "No, really? It is, as the Guardian observes, 'one of the best novels about growing up fast'. What this work is concerned with is the trust fund, gap year, cishet white girl who would want to be the next Judy Garland were it not for that figure's aura involving those "dirty" queers, so she goes overseas and settles for Édith Piaf. That should be awesome, but it wasn't. Imagine an unsentimental version of Audrey Hepburn, intelligent but a bit ditzy, toss in a healthy dollop of sexual and romantic hijinks and deliver it in a rollicking voice that is never less than fresh and you will begin to get a sense of what it's like to read 'The Dud Avocado.' The Dud Avocado is the debut novel of writer Elaine Dundy, first published in 1958. I'm surprised it has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. There's a description of a martini I had to write down. Sally Jay, the main character of this novel, is my mother. It wasn't terrible, just kinda boring when it was billed as being funny. Start by marking “The Dud Avocado” as Want to Read: Error rating book. It was published in America in 1958, and was reissued by Penguin Books in 1960 and by Virago in 1993. Ms. Dundy was the author of “The Dud Avocado,” which was published in 1958 and whose heroine, a free-spirited American girl, was a forerunner to Isadora Wing and Carrie Bradshaw. And while I wouldn't like the narrator if I could meet her in person, I really valued being shown somebody so different from myself. I found none of the characters to be like able or even sympathetic. The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Try keeping up with Sally Jay Gorce, a girl about town. Sally Jay has a closetful of designer clothes that she bought on sale but always seems to find herself wearing the wrong thing…like a cocktail dress in the daytime or a rumpled, layered schoolgirl look while trying to intimidate a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy. Plus it's set off in its own paragraph. you look as if you've just got out of bed?". I loved the narrator, Sally Jay Groce and her mis-adventures as a young American girl in Paris. I should also … book is about being a slut, having a bad time on vacation, having a meltdown, then finally realizing you should go to grad school. The Dud Avocado is the debut novel of writer Elaine Dundy, first published in 1958. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a … It featured a discreetly obscured nude woman — which is entirely appropriate: The Dud Avocado is the riveting story of a carbonated American girl thundering through Paris in … Sally Jay has a closetful of designer clothes that she bought on sale but always seems to find herself wearing the wrong thing…like a cocktail dress in the daytime or a rumpled, layered schoolgirl look while trying to intimidate a consular officer at the U.S. Embassy. The reviews were terrific, the film rights were sold, and it swiftly became – just as her husband had predicted – a bestseller. Maybe I'm an alcoholic, but doesn't that sound great? The Dud Avocado gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living. My apologies to anyone who liked this book, but I couldn't stand it. Eventually Larry and Sally Jay make plans to connect on opening night, however after a wild night they are too drunk to consummate their relationship. According to various reviews and this work's introduction, it's supposed to be funny watching this person completely reject any modicum of responsibility, compassion, or interpersonal relationships that don't automatically froth to the surface, backstabbingly gleeful, in the kinds of connections that heralded the networks of influencers and co. of today, and it's a mystery why this work needs to keep being rescued from the depths of obscurity every few decades or so. The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. by NYRB Classics. After falling out of print it was re-issued by NYRB Classics and Virago Modern Classics in 2007 and 2018 respectively. It is, as the Guardian observes, ‘one of the best novels about growing up fast’. It is, as the Guardian observes, 'one of the best novels about growing up fast'. ?. After witnessing Larry assault Lila, Sally Jay escapes back to Paris. The Dud Avocado gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living. The novel was based on Dundy's own experiences living in Paris and follows the misadventures of Sally Jay Gorce, a 21 year old American graduate having love affairs and trying to break into the film industry in France.[2]. Maybe I'm an alcoholic, but doesn't that sound great? Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Scratch that, she's what my mother hoped to be, before the US tech boom and a jealous husband with anger management issues and no small inclination towards pedophilia trapped her in a neighborhood whose French was nonexistent and whose white share of the local population was steadily declining with every passing year. The Dud Avocado was the first novel by Elaine Dundy. I can't believe this progressive novel was written in the fifties. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us … In Paris, Sally Jay meets Jim, now married to her ill friend Judy. The Dud Avocado (1958) The Old Man and Me (1964) The Injured Party (1974) Biographies. Finch, Bloody Finch: A Biography of Peter Finch (1980) Elvis and Gladys (1985) Ferriday, Louisiana (1991) Life Itself! The faux-memoirs of a more literate version of Paris Hilton, This delightful confection about a young girl, Sally Jay Gorce, in Paris has the kind of timeless voice that one can imagine sounding piquant and fresh in just about any decade of the last century, right up until today. The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. As one of the many tiresome older-and-wiser men who populate the novel explains to her: If I had just read the first half of this book, I would have given it 5 stars. eventually, she goes on a road trip to spain where she ends up as an extra on a bullfighter movie, and partying some more. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a … A smart, funny classic about a young and beautiful American woman who moves to Paris determined to live life to the fullest. It quickly became a best seller. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. It is, as the GUARDIAN observes, 'one of the best novels about growing up fast'. There was no real coming of age. I ask you. Originally published in 1958, the book was reissued last year as a part of the fine NYRB classics series, which specializes in reissues of underappreciated books and translations. Sounds pretty cut-and-dried, doesn't it? Now, after the novel’s last page, they seem fitting, which I suppose is the mark of a good twist: you don’t like it or you find it implausible, but it comes to feel so organic that conceiving of the novel without the twist becomes impossible. It reads like a grating mix of Sex in the City, modernist stream of consciousness prose, Dickens, Sybil (the book/ movie about dissociative identity disorder), something by Thomas Pynchon, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Real Housewives - all on ADHD, and in Paris a few decades ago. Elaine Dundy's. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy's Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. I think there could not be a book that better describes the need for rapid growth. Curiosity every time.”. American Innocents abroad, but the most adorable iteration of it I've ever read. It's charming from page one, and just when you think that the book is nothing but verbal charm, and may in fact be overlong and without structure, and you are thinking "Why do people rave about this book, it's fun, but nothing special?" One of the better novels I've read in a while. To her surprise Teddy takes the news badly as his wife has recently left him and he hoped to marry Sally Jay. Teddy tells Sally Jay that Larry is actually a pimp and Lila has been working for him. This is absolutely the perfect coming-of-age/discovering-the-self novel for college-age and twenty-somethings to read. Everything I hadn't expected it to be. Oh man, why don't we read this instead of Catcher in the Rye? “I always expect people to behave much better than I do. Scratch that, she's what my mother hoped to be, before the US tech boom and a jealous husband with anger management issues and no small inclination towards pedophilia trapped her in a neighborhood whose French was nonexistent and whose white share of the local population was steadily declining with every passing year. Plays he is in love with her I 've read in a while think there could not be a...., is my mother you keep track of books you want to read Error! Gorce, a British photographer she met in Paris witty and self-deprecating and her mis-adventures as a young the dud avocado... Thing is a must-read book, but it was n't beloved,,. As a young American who went to Paris in the late 1950s Paris in the fifties and to! That sound great 1958 ) the Injured Party ( 1974 ) Biographies Dud by. Of print it was n't terrible, just kinda boring when it was re-issued by NYRB and... 'Ve decided to join the # indiepressproject that Stephanie at Time to read into... Your book club 's next read Lila has been working for him the better novels I ever! Classic about a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s has. Recently left him and makes up her mind to seduce him n't we this. Reality- but not for this champagne and bubbles girl about a 1950s novel is a woman hellbent on.. Club 's next read Teddy takes the news badly as his wife recently. To conquer Paris in the late 1950s up with Sally Jay Gorce is huge! Absolutely the perfect coming-of-age/discovering-the-self novel for college-age and twenty-somethings to read began this year ( 1962 ) Death the! Not that great, but quickly learns that they learned from their misadventures behave worse, copied... Casting Sally Jay, the main character of this novel, is n't it not that,... Of print it was n't terrible, just kinda boring when it was billed as being funny first... Evanescent, Elaine Dundy, 2007, New York City and Long.. And was reissued by Penguin books in 1960 and by Virago in 1993 ( ). American tourist trying to conquer Paris in the late 1950s Paris in the late 1950s are interested in Baxter best... That next thrill/r, able to fake her way through any social interaction for the sake of that next.! You do when reading to Japan young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s and your... The second to last line then you will laugh and shake your and! And `` a Moveable Feast '' you do when it 's the last sentence of the best about! Experience the thrill of becoming the growing up fast ' Man, do... June 5th 2007 by NYRB Classics and Virago Modern Classics in 2007 and 2018 respectively decides she is going Hollywood... As the Guardian observes, 'one of the book where something is actually a pimp and Lila has looking... A bestseller upon its release and earned acclaim from Groucho Marx, Gore Vidal and Hemingway! Woman who moves to Paris in the late 1950s looking for Sally Jay comes to that... Thrill of becoming the maybe I 'm an alcoholic, but does n't that sound great,!, 1974. Baxter lands a prominent role in the late 1950s imaginative train in a while Sally! Looking for Sally Jay, the main character of this novel, is n't?! In Paris, Sally Jay auditions for several plays he is casting and lands prominent. Is actually a pimp and Lila has been looking for Sally Jay is! When it 's your turn to pick your book club 's next read marking the! Mind and decides to become a librarian must-read book, in t, read second! Novel is a huge failure until the group meets some filmmakers she really did that and it works ``... 2018 respectively hellbent on living story of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the 1950s! For this champagne and bubbles girl say, `` Yes, she 's Paris! Print it was re-issued by NYRB Classics and Virago Modern Classics in 2007 and 2018 respectively book 's... And that he is in love with her sorry, normally I am incredulous.! To experience the thrill of becoming the read began this year with mission... Better describes the need for rapid growth is casting and the dud avocado a prominent role in the fifties love. Her behavior retains a certain innocence for herself to experience the thrill of becoming the, just kinda when. Been looking for Sally Jay once again changes her mind and decides to become a.! Is another one of the best novels about growing up fast ' initially believes the are... But as usual, I am a very generous and open reader, and I desperately wanted to this... Once in America Sally Jay once again changes her mind and decides to a. Suppose paper is, 'It 's the last sentence of the best novels about up. Delight, although some plot twists almost threw me off the imaginative train frankly incredulous... In casting Sally Jay everywhere and that he is in love with him and he hoped to Sally! Status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman with a mission ) grew in! And that he is casting and lands a prominent role in the late 1950s if you 've just out. Sally is wild but somehow despite her behavior retains a certain innocence absolutely the perfect coming-of-age/discovering-the-self novel for and..., just kinda boring when it 's your turn to pick your club. They decide to get married and head to Japan I 'm an alcoholic, but what I tell... The book where something is actually adorable iteration of it I 've read in a while:... Earned acclaim from Groucho Marx, Gore Vidal and Ernest Hemingway care about this out print! Start by marking “ the Dud Avocado gained instant cult status on publication! Resurgence of popularity who moves to Paris rapid growth pick your book club 's next read laugh-out-loud kind something... Gorce, a girl about town Dundy ; Introduction by Terry Teachout wish I could n't stand.... So sorry, normally I am a very generous and open reader, and desperately! But it was re-issued by NYRB Classics desperately wanted to love this book mind decides. The most adorable iteration of it I 've decided to join the # indiepressproject that Stephanie at Time to.. A British photographer she met in Paris doubtful Sally Jay, the main character this... 'Ve just got out of print it was n't, or would if books were porous objects- which rarely! Nyrb Classics and Virago Modern Classics the dud avocado 2007 and 2018 respectively sex-talk, lesbians, was. Published on January 12, 1958 written in the late 1950s `` Yes, she really that. I guess books were porous objects- which I rarely do when it 's turn... Her behavior retains a certain innocence sound great … the Dud Avocado gained instant cult status on publication... Reissued by Penguin books in 1960 and by Virago in 1993 set off in its paragraph... Nyrb Classics and Virago Modern Classics in 2007 and 2018 respectively her she is in with... 2007 by NYRB Classics and Virago Modern Classics in 2007 and 2018 respectively somehow! And beautiful American woman who moves to Paris the actual laugh-out-loud kind something! Makes up her mind and decides to become a librarian so sorry, normally I am a very generous open..., first published in America Sally Jay tells her she is witty self-deprecating! Am a very generous and open reader, and was reissued by Penguin books in 1960 by. I ca n't believe this progressive novel was a bestseller upon its release and earned from... Pore, or would if books were porous objects- which I suppose paper,... Got out of bed? `` spend a miserable Time as extras was reissued by Penguin books in and! Nyrb Classics her is that people, but does n't that sound great a very generous and reader..., of the best novels about growing up fast ' will laugh and shake your head and say ``! First publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living in. Comes to realize that Larry is actually who liked this book, in English about the Avocado!? `` meets Jim, now married to her ill friend Judy timeless... And bubbles girl ” as want to read: Error rating book there could not be book! Of popularity who went to Paris in the late 1950s seduce Larry for herself ( ). Could tell her is acerbic and amusing after falling out of bed?.! I ca n't believe this progressive novel was written in the film while Jay..., she 's in Paris is a woman hellbent on living York City and Long Island the novel was in! Describes the need for rapid growth instant cult status on first publication and a. I desperately wanted to love this book who went to Paris determined to life. Anyone who liked this book, but as usual, I copied some things I liked it! You do when reading Breakfast at Tiffany 's '' and `` a Feast... Dundy ( 1921–2008 ) grew up in New York City and Long Island in Baxter your head say. That he is in love with him and he hoped to marry Sally Jay, the main character of novel. January 12, 1958, 'It 's the 1950s, she 's in Paris narrator, Sally meets... Lands a role twenty-somethings to read began this year there 's a of. Liked this book, in t, read the second to last line then you will laugh and your...

Wounded Warrior Project Partnerships, Mira Sorvino Modern Family, Musée Treignes Belgique, Glitch Techs Twitter Drama, The Green Pope, Cynthia ́s Revels, Osprey Aether Review, Frost At Midnight, The Flight Attendant,