Josephine - The Famous Poodle (Every Night Josephine - Jacqueline Susann)

Member Name: Snu210

Product:	Every Night Josephine - Jacqueline Susann
Date:	30/05/07 (138 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Relaxing read, interesting story

Disadvantages: None

Author Jacqueline Susann is noted most for writing racy, Hollywood-style novels like Jackie Collins and when I picked up a copy of “Every Night Josephine” at the local op shop, I thought it would be the same. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a completely different writing style and plot altogether and found out it was Jacqueline Susann’s first bestselling novel.

“Every Night Josephine” is not about a person – it’s about a French poodle. Jacqueline decides she must have a poodle and a great hunt takes place until she finds Josephine. After that, it comes to the author’s attention that poodles need a lot of care and attention and Jacqueline gradually finds her life changing around dramatically to fit in her new addition to the family. Not only is Josephine an adorable mutt, she is like a real person, only to be babysat by the most trustworthy people and only to be looked at by the best vets. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a story about a posh lady’s inability to cope with a dog purchase – it’s actually very good and has plenty of humourous anecdotes about the poodle world and the people who inhabit it. I laughed out loud in many places and even though I don’t own a dog, I found the book very interesting and entertaining to read.

Yes, if I was ever going to buy a high-care dog of my own with a strong personality, I would recommend reading this book as a kind of briefing as to what to expect. Jacqueline Susann has written very well about the poodle circle of trust with her friends and relatives and how the dog “grew” on people as they were exposed to it. The story is set against a backdrop of New York and there are a few dog-haters which are overcome in the story too, one of which is Irving Mansfield (Jacqueline’s partner) who thought obtaining a poodle was a woman’s whim and graduated to treating the poodle like his firstborn.

At 216 pages, the writing style is easy to read and I thought this book was an excellent first novel that deserved to be a bestseller, launching its author into international fame. I also felt quite charmed by her account of poodle upbringing. Recently I lent the book to my mother who also enjoyed it and said it was quite different from other books by the same author. If you want a calming and funny bedtime story, this novel is the right one for you!

OTHER BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR:
*Valley Of The Dolls
*The Love Machine
*Once Is Not Enough

OTHER INFORMATION:
Publisher: Corgi Books
Year Published: 1970
IBSN No: 552 08433 6

© 2007 Snu210

Summary: A good book to settle down with.