Jacqueline Susann's Shadow of the Dolls

Rating:
Summary: Susann deserved MUCH better than this. So do you.
Review: Valley of the Dolls is one of the most memorable favorites in my collection, and that may be why reading Lawrence's travesty of a sequel upset me so profoundly. This book is almost a parody of Valley of the Dolls; the scenes are blatant ... from Susann's work, pirated without grace, talent, or respect. Although Valley of the Dolls has been criticized for using "shallow" subject matter to dramatize poigniant themes, Shaow of the Dolls is simply shallow subject matter with nothing to hold it together. Lawrence haphazardly ignores directives of the original in this retelling, corrupting both physical (Anne Welles becomes a brunette for no clear reason) and thematic (Anne lost her unrelenting morality along the way and has stooped to stealing chessecakes from rivals) detail. This makes Shadow of the Dolls a very frustrating read for a fan of the original. Even if you haven't read teh original, the writing is poor and lacks teh realism that made Susann's work a classic - Jackie had been there, while thei woman has obviously read too many fashion magazines. Avoid this novel at all costs.

Rating:
Summary: Return of the Dolls
Review: Well the long awaited sequel is finally here!It is like catching up with old friends. Yes, there have been a lot of liberties taken with dates and characters and nothing will ever be as good as the original "Valley of the Dolls", one of my all time favorite books and movies. Having said all that I really enjoyed this sequel. It brings Anne, Neely and Lyon into the present time and is very enjoyable reading, I could not put the book down. As with any good sequel, it introduces many new characters (especially the main characters children). It also mentions characters from the first book: Helen Lawson, Jennifer North. I think Jacqueline Susann would be very pleased. I can not wait to see for the movie. I know that there will be one. I know before long I will want to read this book again.

Rating:
Summary: Wake me up when it's over
Review: What a bore. This book isn't a shadow of VOD. It's more like a cloudy, gray day to VOD's midnight neon lights. Yes, Anne and Neely took their modern-day dolls, and, yes, Lyon went back and forth to Neely, but who gives a flying leap? The original VOD had meat. This sequel has only empty calories. Don't waste your time.

Rating:
Summary: In the Shadow of the Valley
Review: When I finished Valley of the Dolls, I wasn't particularly hungry for a sequel, but I was a little curious about Lawrence's attempt at a follow-up. But why oh why did she have to fool with the time period? What may have been shocking left set in the sixties is pretty tame by today's standards. The whole charm of the original "Dolls" was directly related to the period in which it was set. Lawrence's "Shadow" is has nothing new to say, nothing you wouldn't find in any Jackie Collins novel. Stick to the original.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Jackie!
Review: When I saw this book in stores, I wanted to read it. I hadn't even read Valley of the Dolls yet, but I had watched some of the movie and liked it. My mom had a copy of it so I read it. I took a long time to finish the 500 page novel, but I loved it! very daring! (for its time, anyway) Then I ordered the Shadow of the Dolls. I didn't really mind the age change or anything, but I found it more shallow that something Susann would write.
Don't get me wrong, Rae Lawrence is a very talented writer from what I can tell, but she's just no Jacequeline Susann! She should have studied more into the way Susann writes and then wrote it. I guess it just can't compare to the original, to me anyway.

Rating:
Summary: Something Rotten? This "novel!"
Review: When we read the original VALLEY OF THE DOLLS(sometimes even sneak reading it), we knew we were reading trash. But it was enjoyable trash, with a storyline that just didn't quit. Supposidly Susann spent months writing the outline for this sequel. Did author Lawrence read it? Don't think so. The writing itself isn't bad, sometimes even admirable, but the story is just so bad it isn't even funny. And, the entire book covers 14 years continuously....yet it is just a few pages over 300 and lots of space and large type there. Think the "novelist" knew it was a loser and wanted to get back to her own, more resonable, writings so she dashed this out...saving anything good for her own books. Save your money on this one. It purports to be a sequel to VALLEY, but, in reality, it's not.....just bad is all. For a much better read, try LONELY JUNCTIONS by R C Lemos. Now THAT'S a story that doesn't quit!

Rating:
Summary: Close, but no cigar.
Review: While I appreciate that Rae Lawrence sought to warm the hearts of a public who missed Susann's original characters, this book (like "Scarlet", the "sequel" to "Gone With the Wind") is proof that some things are indeed best left alone. The characters in this work seem very flat, lacking the emotion, depth and vibrancy that made "Valley of the Dolls" such an enjoyable work.
Anne, Neely, Lyon are all relegated to plots that are the fodder for typical romance novels that aspire to be good beach reading: adultery, Hollywood, death, a genre well done by someone like Jackie Collins. However, in Lawrence's text they seem only to be placed in these situations. The reader is given very little insight into any character's motivation or emotional reaction.
And then there is the unfortunate "second generation" sub-plot.
If you feel this is something you must read, please check it out of your local library. Your money will definitely be better spent elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: RETURN OF THE DOLLS!!
Review: Wow. Neely, Lyon, and Anne are back in this summer's ... read. Although many years have passed since the origingal "Valley of the Dolls", Rae Lawrence proves that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Here we find Anne Welles realising that the past she thought she ran away from years ago will always be there to haunt her. Lyon is still the same playboy he always was, (not a good thing to be when you are married), and Neely O'Hara decides being a singer in the theatre isn't all that much--not when you can be a big star in Hollywood. All the vices, bitchery, and deception are there, with a couple of plot twists thrown in for good measure. I stayed up till three a.m., unable to put this book down until it was finished. And when it was finshed....I wanted MORE!! Hard-core "Valley" fans may be disappointed at the lack of shock and scandal in this volume, compared to the original, but it is no less satisfying for it.