westiegirl
Gold Member
I loved the letters too, I loved the way they were written like she was in the same room as Honora just having a conversation 
June/July book - Valley of the Dolls by Jacquiline Susann - Read by 31st July
- Thread starter Karen1972
- Start date
charliegirl
Silver Member
I also loved the letters, in my mind they came from a cuddly motherly women and gave background to Honora without bringing the charactor into the book too much with so many other charactors in it...I finished the book in work and it was immediately snatched up by a colleque to read...xx
Karen1972
Gold Member
I loved the letters too, so sweet and heartfelt.
One thing that bothered me a little bit was the relationship between McD and Alphonse. McD had his own siblings around the same age so why did he invest so much time in Alphonse? I know his brothers were a handful but surely that would be even more reason to look after them like he did Alph???
Imagine a 20 odd year old offering a 12 year old stranger a fishing trip these days..... scary! lol.
One thing that bothered me a little bit was the relationship between McD and Alphonse. McD had his own siblings around the same age so why did he invest so much time in Alphonse? I know his brothers were a handful but surely that would be even more reason to look after them like he did Alph???
Imagine a 20 odd year old offering a 12 year old stranger a fishing trip these days..... scary! lol.
charliegirl
Silver Member
Maybe because his siblings already had someone watching out for them and he felt alphonse needed a father figure...xx
dextersmum
Gold Member
Hi all
I also enjoyed this book although it did take me a few chapters to get into it (mainly because it is so different from my usual choice of novel). I think I mostly enjoyed the setting - being near the sea as I live near the coast and love seeking treasure on the beach. The way in which Honora seeked out the different colours I found really quite endearing.
My favourite character was little Alphonse - just his eagerness to be useful and part of the gang and his obsession with food!
What I found most suprising was the similarities to our economic situation now and it did open my eyes to how difficult times were in the 1930's. (Educational and entertaining!!)
I loved the letters also - we just don't write letters anymore and this added another dimension to the story.
Shall try and add anything else I can think of as we go along and am going to look out for next book xx
I also enjoyed this book although it did take me a few chapters to get into it (mainly because it is so different from my usual choice of novel). I think I mostly enjoyed the setting - being near the sea as I live near the coast and love seeking treasure on the beach. The way in which Honora seeked out the different colours I found really quite endearing.
My favourite character was little Alphonse - just his eagerness to be useful and part of the gang and his obsession with food!
What I found most suprising was the similarities to our economic situation now and it did open my eyes to how difficult times were in the 1930's. (Educational and entertaining!!)
I loved the letters also - we just don't write letters anymore and this added another dimension to the story.
Shall try and add anything else I can think of as we go along and am going to look out for next book xx
Mrs Depp
Gold Member
Well I don't know what to say 'cos everyone's already said everything for me lol!!
I didn't like the fact that I couldn't get into the characters at the beginning of the book, I know it all centered around Honora and Sexton but I was eager to read about other characters too, thankfully that didn't take too long.
If I had to choose a favourite character it would be Vivian. She lived her life to the full but also seemed to be unhappy that she didn't have the sort of life that Honora had and I think when Dickie came along she really felt more for him than she cared to admit and that's why she bought the house from him. I can imagine her to be some 70 year old spinster still kicking her heels up and flirting with young men lol!
I didn't like Sexton and imagined him to be an 'oily' sort of character, sleeping with other women while he was on the road and conning the bank didn't endear him to me and him escaping from hospital didn't surprise me unfortunately.
I'm not sure how I felt about McDermott, even after finishing the book. I liked his friendship with Alphonse and think he reminded McDermott of himself as a young boy and maybe that's why he took care of him. Saying that, I was shocked that he died as I'd hoped that he and Honora would get together.
The fact that so many of the characters were shot near the end came as a shock to me, I wasn't expecting that to happen and was glad that at least Honora, Vivian and Alphonse survived. I'd love there to be a follow up book to find out what happened to them in the years to come.
I didn't like the fact that I couldn't get into the characters at the beginning of the book, I know it all centered around Honora and Sexton but I was eager to read about other characters too, thankfully that didn't take too long.
If I had to choose a favourite character it would be Vivian. She lived her life to the full but also seemed to be unhappy that she didn't have the sort of life that Honora had and I think when Dickie came along she really felt more for him than she cared to admit and that's why she bought the house from him. I can imagine her to be some 70 year old spinster still kicking her heels up and flirting with young men lol!
I didn't like Sexton and imagined him to be an 'oily' sort of character, sleeping with other women while he was on the road and conning the bank didn't endear him to me and him escaping from hospital didn't surprise me unfortunately.
I'm not sure how I felt about McDermott, even after finishing the book. I liked his friendship with Alphonse and think he reminded McDermott of himself as a young boy and maybe that's why he took care of him. Saying that, I was shocked that he died as I'd hoped that he and Honora would get together.
The fact that so many of the characters were shot near the end came as a shock to me, I wasn't expecting that to happen and was glad that at least Honora, Vivian and Alphonse survived. I'd love there to be a follow up book to find out what happened to them in the years to come.
Karen1972
Gold Member
Yeah Sexton was very 'oily' wasn't he? I think tho that the first few months they were happy, especially travelling around together and doing their double act with the clients.
I was chatting to Jim's sister and she's read a few of Anita Shreve's books and a few of them seem to include the white house with black shutters near the sea.... don't think the characters are linked in anyway though, just the house. Odd that innit?
I was chatting to Jim's sister and she's read a few of Anita Shreve's books and a few of them seem to include the white house with black shutters near the sea.... don't think the characters are linked in anyway though, just the house. Odd that innit?
Karen1972
Gold Member
I loved the letters too, I loved the way they were written like she was in the same room as Honora just having a conversation
Sarah, how did your book club go in real life? What kind of questions did they ask and how did it flow?
Karen1972
Gold Member
I've very much enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on the book
Yeah me too.... i think it'll make us remember the book more aswell. It's scary how quickly books can be forgotten normally (for me anyway as my memory is terrible lately!!).
Mrs Depp
Gold Member
I sort of thought that Sexton knew he could win customers around by 'using' Honora to sell his typewriters and that although she was in love with him, he wasn't so much with her? Don't know if anyone else felt that or whether it's just me being cynical lol!!
I can still picture that house by the sea, maybe it's something Anita always pictured in her mind as a child? Or she could have lived by one and used it as inspiration?
nexangelus
Carpe diem, baby!
Nah, I think she lives near the sea (Massachusetts) as it comes up in several of her books...even the sea glass comes up again but in a different arrangement...maybe it is like a lot of beach houses or even her own?
westiegirl
Gold Member
My book club went well. It wasn't really questions, just like here we just discussed the book, how we felt about the characters, the author and also the author's other books (in fact we all had a consensus we didn't like the book lol). It was the same discussions as here, but just all in the same room rather than behind a keyboard
Well like a lot of you I struggled to get into it but was so glad that I persevered.
Her descriptive writting made it easy to picture the scene and the characters. Though I sometimes wished she had gone further with the characters background.
My favourite character was Vivien. I felt that she was the one who changed the most throughout the book. I wanted to know more about her life in Boston and New York and what happened with Dickie.
Honora was an extremely likeable character. I thought she must be very adventurous to leave home and be willing to go off with Sexton like that. She loved him but definately had the measure of him. I couldn't believe how accomplished she was for only being 20. Infact all of the characters seemed to me to be much older than they were meant to be.
Sexton was a very easy character not to like. Having said that I appreciated the way the author didn't villify him too much. In my mind he went from being an arrogant ambitous young man to a sleazy bitter and twisted fool.
McDermott wasn't your usual romantic hero which again I liked. I thought his relationship with Alphonse seemed a bit unlikely but tender none the less. I definately think he saw himself in the boy and just wanted him to have a better life. I guess it would have been too predictable and easy if Sexton had died and Honora got together with McDermott. I was willing for him to be more forward with Honora. All of that underlying sexual tension was driving me mad.
Its almost as if she underplays all her characters good and bad points letting the reader make up their own minds. Same with the plot. She gives just enough detail to hold your attention but leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I like that in an author when they credit the reader with some intelligence and dont spoon feed them every detail.
On a personal note I've always had an affinity with the sea and would love to live in a house like that one day. I love to collect shells and stones from the beach. My 11 year old son always looks for sea glass when we go to the beach. He loves the way the sea turns it all smooth and cloudy.
Nowdays I normally only read novels on holiday but it was lovely having an excuse to take myself off to my room for a few hours to escape into a book.
Thanks
Jac
Her descriptive writting made it easy to picture the scene and the characters. Though I sometimes wished she had gone further with the characters background.
My favourite character was Vivien. I felt that she was the one who changed the most throughout the book. I wanted to know more about her life in Boston and New York and what happened with Dickie.
Honora was an extremely likeable character. I thought she must be very adventurous to leave home and be willing to go off with Sexton like that. She loved him but definately had the measure of him. I couldn't believe how accomplished she was for only being 20. Infact all of the characters seemed to me to be much older than they were meant to be.
Sexton was a very easy character not to like. Having said that I appreciated the way the author didn't villify him too much. In my mind he went from being an arrogant ambitous young man to a sleazy bitter and twisted fool.
McDermott wasn't your usual romantic hero which again I liked. I thought his relationship with Alphonse seemed a bit unlikely but tender none the less. I definately think he saw himself in the boy and just wanted him to have a better life. I guess it would have been too predictable and easy if Sexton had died and Honora got together with McDermott. I was willing for him to be more forward with Honora. All of that underlying sexual tension was driving me mad.
Its almost as if she underplays all her characters good and bad points letting the reader make up their own minds. Same with the plot. She gives just enough detail to hold your attention but leaves a lot of questions unanswered. I like that in an author when they credit the reader with some intelligence and dont spoon feed them every detail.
On a personal note I've always had an affinity with the sea and would love to live in a house like that one day. I love to collect shells and stones from the beach. My 11 year old son always looks for sea glass when we go to the beach. He loves the way the sea turns it all smooth and cloudy.
Nowdays I normally only read novels on holiday but it was lovely having an excuse to take myself off to my room for a few hours to escape into a book.
Thanks
Jac
charliegirl
Silver Member
Postman has just shoved a heavy item through the letter box....I ran to the door and yes my book had come but one of the two I had ordered and not the one that I wanted .....lol....hopefully it will come tomorrow...the other books I have our pretty thick so I dont want to start one of them just yet but may have to...x
.....lol....hopefully it will come tomorrow...the other books I have our pretty thick so I dont want to start one of them just yet but may have to...xSimilar threads
