This novel is very much a product of its time and comes from
the same literary vein as Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
Our main character - the flighty Sally Jay Gorce - hops from one scene to the
other with random reckless abandon in the streets and clubs of 1950s Paris. At
this point in the novel, there is no real plot, and only a few minor points are
necessary for the overall storyline. The first half of the novel makes it
difficult to maintain interest in a character, who, even though she is only 19
years old or so, seems to have no plan other than prattle on inconsequential
issues. The rest of the characters in the book are practically flat and
interchangeable, and I didn't care about a single one of them. Dundy presents a
fairly accurate view of what a naïve American girl in 1950's France, but I
disagree with the reviewers who found it funny -- but then again, maybe in 1950
this WAS funny.
It's not until the second half of the novel when SJ and
three friends leave Paris and travel south where they encounter a film crew
looking for extras that this novel actually develops a plot enough to keep the
story moving forward.
I picked this up because it is a New York Review of Books
edition and was recommended by NPR. So while I
may not have completely enjoyed this novel, it is a good example of its
time and of some of the modern literature that was being read at that time.
Until Next Time,
Dudingly Yours,
Michael
