Reviews with content warning for Miscarriage - Blonde

I have incredibly conflicting feelings about this book. It is incredibly well-written, yet it is very slow-paced. There were several times where I picked up the book and felt like I had been reading for hours, only to have read about 20 pages. What causes me conflict, is that it is a fictional "exploration" of the life of Marilyn Monroe - so a lot is to be taken with a grain of salt.

However, It was reflective and provided an incredible insight on femininity. Especially, what it's like to be a woman who is sought after, never taken seriously, and increasingly objectified, no matter how hard she tries to love and be loved. I felt several moments of sadness and empathy. As a woman, a lot of the content made me feel seen.

This book emphasizes a duality of women. How we see ourselves, how we long to know ourselves, how we long to share ourselves with others; and the juxtaposition of how we are perceived by others, especially men. Over and over again in this book, we see Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe treated much better by women than men. Additionally, how she internalizes the horrific things that are said and done to her, and how they crop up throughout her life.

I truly appreciated the introduction by Elaine Showalter.

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himpersonal's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The whole time I was reading this book, I kept wondering why I was reading it and why it was written and how or why it was nominated for a Pulitzer. Of course Marilyn Monroe is forever an icon, but if any of what was written here was true, then it was a very sad life she had. That’s all I can say about the book. It wasn’t fun to read or enriching to my life. It was much less than I expected of her, based on her other works.

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