2 minute read
cLassic nOveLs
CLASSICS CLASSICS CLASSICS
Just because school’s out doesn’t mean you can’t choose a classic! Tbh, we’d all probably like required reading a bit more if it looked more like these three picks!
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Valley of the Dolls
Melanie Benjamin
Published in 1966, VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is often referred to as one of the first gossipy “beach reads” geared towards women. The novel follows three women in 1940s-1960s trying to find success in show business in Los Angeles and New York City, navigating business deals, affairs and fractured friendships, as they slowly become addicted to drugs, known as “dolls.” I loved every second of this one. It’s gossipy and crazy in parts, but it also provides thoughtful commentary on fame and the lives women are supposed to want. I can totally see why this book is so enduring. Filled with superfluous detail and drama that verges on the edge of cheesy and over the top!
The Best of Everything
Jillian Cantor
This felt very MAD MEN meets SEX AND THE CITY! THE BEST OF EVERYTHING chronicles the lives of a group of women who work at a Manhattan publishing company. We meet Caroline, who has big dreams of making it as an editor even though she’s still stuck in the typing pool, April, a country girl who transforms herself into the “It Girl” that every man wants and Gregg, a free-spirited actress who secretly wants to settle down. What I loved most about this one was that while the novel was written in the 1950s, topics like sex and workplace harassment weren’t sanitized. If you’re looking for a classic that’s super easy to read, I’d definitely recommend this!
Passing
Nella Larsen
Set in 1920s Harlem, PASSING follows two biracial women: Irene who lives as a Black woman and Clare, an old friend of Irene’s who now passes as white and is married to Jack, a racist white man. As Irene and Clare reconnect, it becomes apparent that they’re each jealous and intrigued about what the other has: Clare of Irene’s ability to live her true identity and Irene of Clare’s charisma and ease of fitting in. For being such a short novel (150 pages) this one packed a major punch! It not only deals with race, but has themes revolving around class, jealousy and female friendships that I found fascinating. It’s quick and thrilling and you’ll read it in a day.
