The Dud Avocado is a very well-written coming- of- age or rite- of- passage story, Sally Jay is the innocent young American travelling to Europe, revelling in freedom, sexual liberation and just growing up. She´s charming and witty and very likable even when she stumbles from problem to intrigue and the story turns darker when her passport is lost and Larry turns out to be not quite so loveable. The first part of this book is all party and fun as Sally Jay tries to live more than anyone else. The image I had in mind while reading about her escapades was Bridget Jones at Holly Golightly´s chaotic party (in the movie version): Dressed to the nines, drunk and bumbling!
Sally Jay has been compared to Holly Golightly and Bridget Jones and I can certainly see that. She parties for all she´s worth, loses her virginity, has a number of affairs and is generally all over the place. And she´s determined to make the most of her time. Sally Jay gets to live in Paris for two years, paid for by a rich uncle. Called to account by Larry, a fellow American who has gone abroad to `become a genius´, she finds that instead of despising him and his familiarity something far more alarming is happening. Having made a vow to go native in a way the natives never had the stamina for, she’s busy getting drunk, having affairs, losing money, losing jewellery and losing God knows what. It’s the 1950’s, she’s young and she’s in Paris, she´s dyed her hair pink, she’s wearing an evening dress at eleven o´clock in the morning and she’s seldom had more fun.
Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. Delight won out, especially in this case. I found it in a charity shop for 90p, I´m always torn between being delighted about a great find or horrified that someone´s given it away. Another book I´m only now finding time to review, but it´s a great one and I want to help spread the word about Elaine Dundy´s often forgotten classic The Dud Avocado.
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