The Lonely Doll

Dare Wright

Many's the time I've heard The Lonely Doll called the most disturbing childrens' book ever produced. With sudden new attention being paid to Dare Wright thanks to The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll and a forthcoming movie based upon her, this seemed the perfect time to revisit this twisted little tale and see if it's really as nightmare-inducing as everyone says it is.

The short answer is "no." The thing that I would think would induce the most nightmares, the doll itself, is actually rather neutral in expression, and doesn't give off the sense of ultra-creepiness one gets from the works of, say, Hans Bellmer. What does get a little odd is the storyline itself, which is tailor-made for years and years of therapy, with parental abandonment, sexual repression, and willful disobedience all wrapped up into a stew that is liable to give any young children it's read to deep-seated issues. But the damage will not be short-term; you don't have to worry about buying this for your kids and them not being able to sleep the next night. (Suicide attempts and alcoholism later on down the road, though, are likely possibilities.)

An interesting cultural artifact for adults, but I wouldn't let my kid within ten miles of it.