Bonjour Tristesse
Another young woman enjoying freedom in France without becoming especially sensible.
Read our take
The Dud Avocado
by Elaine Dundy
Elaine Dundy’s funny 1958 novel about a twenty-one-year-old American treating Paris as an experiment in freedom, sex, parties, and bad decisions.
- 1958
The story, briefly
Spoiler-freeA young American woman spends two years in Paris determined to live freely, pursue romance, go to parties, and make mistakes without asking permission. The novel turns her adventures into fast, unsentimental comedy.
What's inside
A twenty-one-year-old American moves through Parisian parties, friendships, work, and romances while enthusiastically resisting sensible choices.
Why we recommend it
Freedom in France, played as comedy
Its young heroine embraces sex, parties, and bad decisions with the same unsentimental independence, but the novel is much funnier than Bonjour Tristesse.
What this book explores
Book editions
- Paperback
- NYRB Classics
- 2007
- 9781590172322
Reader reviews
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References
References
The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document The Dud Avocado, its publication, and its place in literary history.
1The Dud Avocado
Official recordNew York Review Books, 2007Used forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
2Elaine Dundy
Official recordThe New York Review of BooksUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
3The Dud Avocado
WebsiteHachette UKUsed forWeb source consulted for documented facts and historical context presented on the The Dud Avocado page.
4The Dud Avocado — 1958 edition record
Official recordGoogle BooksUsed forOfficial record used to verify names, dates, institutional details, or other factual information on this page.
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Why these sources are here
The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.
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