End of Summer Bookclub Cocktail

Cosmos for Dolls

You can't read a Jackie Susann novel without craving drugs and alcohol, she has a way of making them so alluring. Long before the cougars of the critically acclaimed movie Sex and the City 2 were slurping down these boozy beverages, Cosmos were considered fancy. Back in the 60s these were very in vogue but unfortunately the only place you can order this drink now without shame is a gay bar. These are best made in a large pitcher and split between few people, but watch out 'cause they'll get ya. 

you will need the following: 

Vodka

Triple Sec

Cranberry juice

Cheap Champagne (opt. but worth it)

Lime juice and garnish

Mix and serve. Best when thrown in someone's face.

End of Summer Selection

It's time again for the official Paperback Book Club selection, this time I've chosen a pulpy little cult classic. Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann is still somewhat of a powerhouse publishing enigma. Susann's novel, by popular critique, is considered a "shlock" novel, a book intended only to scandalize its readers. Looking at Valley of the Dolls in this century, it's easy to see why this book was such a hot seller, but in it also is Susann's surprisingly modern storytelling ability.  Valley of the Dolls captures something timeless about the desire to be famous and the downfalls of glamour, it remains fascinating in Susann's well developed female leads. Susann's personal story relating to the international success of this novel is enough to seduce even the most artistic writer into prostitution.

We sat down with Cat Degan, Chicago feminist and baby store manager to talk V o' the Ds. Cat read this novel in middle school and re-read for Paperback Book Club. Ms Degen holds a degree in Women's Studies from St. Edward's University and is currently managing a children's boutique in Wicker Park. She is also a freelance fancy cheese expert. The following photo was inspired by Gloria Steinem, who would probably be horrified to see her named used alongside of Jacqueline Susann's.

Paperback Book Club: As a feminist, do you think Susann was a pioneer, or is her novel a set-back for the women's movement of the 1960s?

Cat Degen: I'm not sure that I would call Susann a "feminist pioneer," but any woman writer of that time who achieved the success that she did deserves to be noted, as it was a man's world back then in many ways.  Her book is not about women who claim the feminist title, or are interested in women's rights in general.  Susann herself was an interesting person, challenging the prescribed roles of women in show business and becoming a bestselling author, despite harsh critiques from male peers.

I think, that despite the atrocious messages in Valley of the Dolls regarding the roles of women and the way society perceives mental illness, this is an important book.  It was read by millions, and revealed a way of life that was not often acknowledged for women. Women suffered a great deal from the pressure to succeed, and often battled addiction and depression while maintaining a career and family.  Obviously, the majority of people battling these things are not famous actresses or models, like the characters in the book, but this book talked about such issues openly, which was ground-breaking for the time.

I find it to be similar to Fifty Shades of Grey, not a literary feat by any means, but an important book for the women's movement because it brings up a topic of discussion that was unmentionable before.  I am not in any way calling Fifty Shades feminist, but that series has reached women who would never discuss, let alone practice, BDSM.  It may be horrific writing, and carry all sorts of horrible messages, but it has women talking about their sexual fantasies and perhaps in some cases exploring a arena that they were afraid to before.  I wasn't alive when Valley of the Dolls came out, but I imagine that women reading it on the bus put it inside another book, just as I see women doing with Fifty Shades.  I love a book that causes a stir.

PBBC:  Who was your favorite doll?  Why?

CD: Oh boy, well, in the end I guess maybe Jennifer because I found her story of living two different lives very intriguing.  And she puts us, as well as herself, out of misery with her suicide.  But, I really did not like any of the women in this book.  They were completely obsessed with pleasing men and being skinny, which is just annoying.  Also, they don't seem to have any sort of sisterhood, they flit in and out of each other's lives when it is convenient.  The only one who is genuine is Anne, who is just such a goody-two-shoes she makes you want to barf.  In the end, I can certainly say that I would never want to be friends with any of them, but I would probably watch a movie about their lives.  It's like a train wreck, you can't help but watch and be entertained. 

PBBC: What did you notice about the actual writing?  Does it hold up?

CD: She will not be winning any prizes for her literary feats. I was entertained and never had to look up any words on my phone.

PBBC: Susann uses "fag" a lot in the book.  What do you suppose her feelings were of homosexuality?

CD: From what little I know about Susann, it sounds as if she was a bit conflicted when it came to sexuality.  There are many rumors of her having had sexual relationships with women, but who knows how much truth there is to those. I tried to read her homophobic language as more of a sign of the times and what was being said in show business at the time, instead of her personal feelings about homosexuality. That being said, I don't like the F-word, it makes me uncomfortable just like the N-word. 

PBBC: Has the drug-infiltrated industry changed since the 60's, or has it just become more normal? 

CD: I'm not really sure I know enough about the industry or the drug use that goes on, although I can certainly imagine, to comment on this in a tangible way.  However, the thing I was most struck by when reading this for the second time was the self-medication happening with prescription drugs and alcohol, yeesh did those ladies drink!  I found myself frequently thinking that if they had been alive in current times they hopefully could have connected with a good therapist and gotten help instead of drinking and drugging up all the dang time.  Although, there are many people today who self-medicate in the same way, which is why we need universal health care!  Sorry, I always find a way to inject my political feelings into the conversation.

Ever read Valley of the Dolls? What do you think?

Just Finished - I

Hey guys, it's been entirely too long and frankly, I contemplated letting this section of the blog go. After some renewed interest in Paperback Book Club, I am bringing this up-to-date! The formatting will be new and different. There will still be a monthly selection, stayed tuned as we showcase our end of summer selection later this week. I'm going to try some new bookish topics to discuss, like things I'm reading or reading about. As always, commenting really helps. 

My Antonia - Willa Cather

This was always one of those books that came highly recommended by my college writing teachers. Now that I've actually read it, I'm going to agree that it demonstrates a great deal of good writing. My Antonia is the story of a young boy (written in a surprisingly authentic first-person by a woman) who comes to live in the great plains around the turn of the century. Jim Burden, our narrator, is somewhat preoccupied with his foreign neighbor Antonia, but apparently not enough to actually help her in any real way.

It's sort of like a grown-up version of Little House on the Prairie but with many more disturbing subject matters like sex, suicide and murder. Along the lines of Main Street by Sinclair Lewis, this novel is not exactly the epitome of action-packed but it does make a lot of points about small town, American life. 

The writing is what makes this book worth your time. It took me an embarrassingly long time to finish this rather short book (over two weeks).  It's hard to get excited about reading this book because it's more observational than plot-driven, but still there's such satisfaction in reading high-brow literature. In the best of ways, this book takes a very slow and labored look at nature, conjuring some lovely imagery. Would I read it again? Doubtful, but if you like American historical fiction and harvest themed books, it's worth a read. 

July Selection

From 70s pulp to early millennial literature, Paperback Book Club will try to keep you guessing and maybe a little cultured. We chose this book for a few reasons; one being to compensate for how low-brow last month's selection was, and also because I found a hardback copy of this book in my building's reading room, and I stole it. 

After reading Freedom by Franzen, I was a little unsettled, to say the least. Franzen tends to highlight a lot of scientific and personal issues that afflict our century, many of which I would really prefer not to think about. He's a genius though, no arguing that. Anyone who can spin human-focused stories around global conflicts without losing plot or prose deserves a Pulitzer. Franzen, however, does not have a Pulitzer, I'm guessing his personal politics may have some influence. 

When this novel appeared in 2001, (I was in sixth grade) Oprah featured this on her book club. Franzen, offended that a suburban housewife audience would tarnish his reputation, demanded she remove it. Only a few copies displaying the Oprah logo are still in existence.  Franzen got a lot of flack for this, but to each writer his own, and even after being removed from the Oprah book club it still went on to be one of the best-sellers of the 2000s. Hopefully J-Franz doesn't see this blog and shut us down. 

Here with us this month is Chicago stage actress Bryce Gangel discussing one of her favorite books. Bryce is a graduate of the theatre school at Loyola University. Currently Bryce can be seen in Filament Theatre's Hank Williams: Lost Highway.  Bryce also owns one of the rare Oprah book club printings.

Bryce's "Corecktall" Cocktail

Since some of the novel has to do with losing your mind, why not welcome it with some refreshing alcohol. Here is Bryce's book club refreshment recipe: 

Gin

Tonic

Maraschino cherries

Limes

Sugar

1.) Muddle cherries, lime juice and sugar in the bottom of a glass.

2.) Fill glass with ice, two fingers of gin and top with tonic.

3.) Swirl and garnish with more limes and cherries. 

The way this works is if you've read the book and watched our interview, comment on it! Just like a real book club, if you agree, or disagree, or even if you want to build more on an idea, comment it! Virtual book clubs like regular book clubs need discussion! 

June Selection

Jaws

Peter Benchley

   

Okay okay, it's a crappy horror book from the 70s, but it did spend 44 weeks on the best seller list and sold an impressive 20 million copies in the US. To be completely honest, the movie is undeniably better, until you actually get a good glimpse of the shark and then it looks pretty dated. Overall, this book is not horrible, it just has less to do with the shark than I remembered. As a former fatty, my middle school summers were spent sitting next to my mom in a t-shirt at the pool, generally with a book in my hand. My parents had this old copy of Jaws that I read in 7th grade and still have now. The only thing keeping it together is a lot of scotch tape and love. I would venture to say that at some point, everyone in my family has read this very copy. 

The book focuses much more on the people in a small New England town where summer tourism is the only economy. This is covered in the movie, but the stakes seem much higher in this book. While I can't say the prose here is amazing by any means, at least Benchley himself has been quoted as saying, "It took me 15 years to realize I was a bad writer." It's not all bad though, there's a lot of character depth here if you look for it, but it does raise the "why do I care?" question a lot. This is a very quick, and exciting read, which is a kudos in itself. This book doesn't quite villainize the shark as much as it does the Amity Island residents. I re-read this over Memorial Day weekend in about three sittings and I have to say, I was completely enthralled. Maybe without this book there would be no shark-week. 

Discussion Questions

1.) How is Harry Meadows justifiable in keeping the first attack victim out of the newspaper?

2.) Steven Spielberg directed the movie and is famous for saying that he found Benchley's characters so unlikable, he ended up rooting for the shark. What do you think?

3.) Why do you think Benchley includes the affair between Ellen Brody and Matt Hooper?

4.) Do you think that Mayor Vaughan's back story is believable?

5.) Is Quint a good or bad character? Why? 

6.) Why do you think Benchley kills off Hooper at the end?

7.) Do you find the ending satisfying? Why?

8.) How much of the film's success is responsible for the book's success? Would it still be in print if the movie had been a flop?

Sex on the Beach

If you can think of a more fitting cocktail for Jaws, I'd like to hear it. Plus, you barely need anything for this one. 

2 shots vodka 

1 shot triple sec

1 part cranberry juice

1 part orange juice

Shake and garnish with fruit pieces, if you're feeling fancy. 

To Participate: 

In-person book clubs are kind of difficult these days, so what I'm trying to accomplish here is for at least one person to read this book and send me their thoughts on it. I'll publish our mini-interview here on the blog so that other users can comment and begin a dialogue.
I will try to feature a few users' responses per month along with your own discussion questions. The fun part is I will also feature your cocktail recipes and headshots! I will pay you with a homemade cake! Delivered anywhere in the city of Chicago!
Fine Print: Cake rewarded only to first person per month to take me up on my standing offer!