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aimzyday's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
3.0
corin11's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jessicah672's review against another edition
3.0
Rounded up a 2.5. Very well done but tough to get into the writing during some bits.
kivt's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book a lot, for all that it made me relive a lot of my idiot moments in my early 20s. I loved it in spite of that and specifically because of that. There's not a good way of explaining it without cliches or terms so appropriated they're pointless. A lot of men try to write about this time in a woman's life, or rather, write about women who are at this time of life. They get the experience so wrong that it puts me off any book blurb that includes the phrase "exploring her sexuality." Men who write about women like Sally Jay are often either transparently re-purposing a Dear Penthouse letter or indulging an excuse for some virulent misogyny.
The Dud Avocado is the book about a dirtbag artist curiously sleeping her way to discovering her identity that I always wanted to read when I was doing that exact thing. "I thought of sex and sin; of my body and all the men in the world who would never sleep with it. I felt a vague, melancholy sensation running through me, not at all unpleasant." And later, "Before, I would have eagerly sought them [comparative strangers] out for the pleasure and curiosity of meeting more and more people on my own hook." These sentences would be part of a moralistic lesson on how you just can't trust DUMB, FAST WOMEN who are out to steal your CREATIVE ESSENCE if written by a man. In The Dud Avocado, Dundy transported me back to when I was driven primarily by those sensations and knew it: "The vehemence of my moral indignation surprised me. Was I beginning to have standards and principles, and, oh dear, scruples? What were they, and what would I do with them, and how much were they going to get in my way?"
Sally Jay tries on a lot of people and a lot of lives. She's constantly furious about her naïvety and pushing at the limits of her own inexperience. She's too smart and funny for her own good, but also spectacularly dumb. Who wasn't like that at that age, and who doesn't miss it at least a little? Even if, as Sally Jay finds, that time in your life is exhausting and eventually it's a relief to give it up? There are other pleasures in life, but nothing can erase the thrill of the sheer stupidity of your wild 20s.
I will note that the middle third of the book dragged, but otherwise this was a fabulous read and nearly flawless. Highly recommended.
The Dud Avocado is the book about a dirtbag artist curiously sleeping her way to discovering her identity that I always wanted to read when I was doing that exact thing. "I thought of sex and sin; of my body and all the men in the world who would never sleep with it. I felt a vague, melancholy sensation running through me, not at all unpleasant." And later, "Before, I would have eagerly sought them [comparative strangers] out for the pleasure and curiosity of meeting more and more people on my own hook." These sentences would be part of a moralistic lesson on how you just can't trust DUMB, FAST WOMEN who are out to steal your CREATIVE ESSENCE if written by a man. In The Dud Avocado, Dundy transported me back to when I was driven primarily by those sensations and knew it: "The vehemence of my moral indignation surprised me. Was I beginning to have standards and principles, and, oh dear, scruples? What were they, and what would I do with them, and how much were they going to get in my way?"
Sally Jay tries on a lot of people and a lot of lives. She's constantly furious about her naïvety and pushing at the limits of her own inexperience. She's too smart and funny for her own good, but also spectacularly dumb. Who wasn't like that at that age, and who doesn't miss it at least a little? Even if, as Sally Jay finds, that time in your life is exhausting and eventually it's a relief to give it up? There are other pleasures in life, but nothing can erase the thrill of the sheer stupidity of your wild 20s.
I will note that the middle third of the book dragged, but otherwise this was a fabulous read and nearly flawless. Highly recommended.
clellman's review against another edition
2.0
Wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to be getting from this. Didn't get particularly engaged or enjoy it all that much.
mountaingoose99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
dshowstack's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cherrie_bluhd's review against another edition
5.0
This book surprised, astounded, and affected me. I expected to like it, but not nearly as much as I did. It was absolutely and utterly amazing. Deeply personal and yet funny, it has probably everything I want in a book and more. I’ve been trying to read more books by women to uncover the literary histories *know* exist but are neither taught nor widely available. This book emphasizes the exquisite pain of that. I LOVE this book — it is absolutely a work of genius, humor, critical reflection and thought — exactly what I wanted to find women writing. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to find, however, and wish more people knew its name. Absolutely a joy!
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
The book jacket promises “the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the last 1950s. [Other authors] wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Dundy’s Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Charming, sexy, and hilarious…”
That’ll teach me to believe a book jacket or publisher’s blurb.
In fairness, I think the whole concept would be considered romantic and comedic in the late 1950s (originally published in 1958). But I don’t think it really translates well today, when readers have been entertained by Sex and the City and the reality TV (and internet) escapades of Paris Hilton and the Kardashians. It’s not bold enough, or shocking enough, or entertaining enough.
Sally is an ingenue, and somewhat naïve, but she is full of life and eager to experience all of it. Bankrolled by a wealthy uncle, she has two years of freedom in Paris to do whatever she wants and she rushes headlong into whatever strikes her fancy – mistress to an Italian diplomat, acting in a play, posing for photographers, playing an extra in a movie, drinking champagne and dancing the flamenco. She seems never to have the right outfit for the occasion, but that doesn’t stop her. She stumbled from one mess to another, but manages always to land on her feet. She falls in love with one wrong man after another, but escapes unscathed (and apparently not learning her lesson very quickly, either).
There are some scenes where Dundy really captures my attention – the way she describes a perfect cocktail, or the guests at a dinner party, for example – but I was bored with most of it. Sally has no real purpose and I just didn’t care what happened to her or her “friends.”
That’ll teach me to believe a book jacket or publisher’s blurb.
In fairness, I think the whole concept would be considered romantic and comedic in the late 1950s (originally published in 1958). But I don’t think it really translates well today, when readers have been entertained by Sex and the City and the reality TV (and internet) escapades of Paris Hilton and the Kardashians. It’s not bold enough, or shocking enough, or entertaining enough.
Sally is an ingenue, and somewhat naïve, but she is full of life and eager to experience all of it. Bankrolled by a wealthy uncle, she has two years of freedom in Paris to do whatever she wants and she rushes headlong into whatever strikes her fancy – mistress to an Italian diplomat, acting in a play, posing for photographers, playing an extra in a movie, drinking champagne and dancing the flamenco. She seems never to have the right outfit for the occasion, but that doesn’t stop her. She stumbled from one mess to another, but manages always to land on her feet. She falls in love with one wrong man after another, but escapes unscathed (and apparently not learning her lesson very quickly, either).
There are some scenes where Dundy really captures my attention – the way she describes a perfect cocktail, or the guests at a dinner party, for example – but I was bored with most of it. Sally has no real purpose and I just didn’t care what happened to her or her “friends.”
tara_pikachu's review against another edition
you just have abandon some books because they are so boring that you'd rather watch 'keeping up with the kardashians.' this is one of those books. so i'll leave it at the 100th page (see, i gave it a chance) and come back to it after i don't know, a decade?