Summary
A smart, funny classic about a young and beautiful American woman who moves to Paris determined to live life to the fullest.
The Dud Avocado follows the romantic and comedic adventures of a young American who heads overseas to conquer Paris in the late 1950s. Edith Wharton and Henry James wrote about the American girl abroad, but it was Elaine Dundy's Sally Jay Gorce who told us what she was really thinking. Charming, sexy, and hilarious, The Dud Avocado gained instant cult status when it was first published and it remains a timeless portrait of a woman hell-bent on living.
"I had to tell someone how much I enjoyed The Dud Avocado. It made me laugh, scream, and guffaw (which, incidentally, is a great name for a law firm)." -Groucho Marx
"[ The Dud Avocado ] is one of the best novels about growing up fast..." -The Guardian
Writer Elaine Dundy was born in New York City in 1921. She studied acting at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. After graduating, she moved to Europe and lived in Paris and later London. She married legendary critic Kenneth Tynan in 1951 and they divorced in 1964. She worked as an actress with only moderate success and Tynan suggested she try writing a novel. The end result was The Dud Avocado published in 1958. She wrote two more novels and a couple of plays before focusing on biography in 1980. Her other works include Finch, Bloody Finch; Elvis and Gladys; Ferriday, Louisiana; and Life Itself! She died because of a heart attack on May 1, 2008.
(Bowker Author Biography)