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p1ppak's review against another edition
2.5
I had high hopes when I started this but is one of the rare books I could not finish. Initially I did enjoy the different styles and forms of writing to convey a sort of disjointed mental state. It became repetitive and gimmicky and the ending spiralling into decline was incoherent rather than effective, and I just felt bored. I also felt it did get rather pathetic and exploitative how Norma was presented, and Oates actually failed to make her a three dimensional character in the way that her novel was supposed to invent or expose a sort of ‘truth’.
irenealva's review against another edition
4.0
El 4 de agosto de 1962, Marilyn Monroe dejaba este mundo. Y con ella, lo dejaba también Norma Jean, la verdadera.
A través de las casi 1000 páginas de “Blonde”, asistimos a la vida ficcionada (pero muy bien documentada e investigada) de la icónica actriz. Casi mil páginas de sufrimiento, dolor, tristeza… Es querer sumergirte en las páginas de esta historia, coger la mano de Norma Jean, agarrarla bien fuerte y no soltarla nunca.
Es curioso como las estrellas parecen siempre destinadas a la desdicha. La mujer más deseada de los 50 y 60, amada y adorada por todos y todas. Y, sin embargo, una mujer que luchaba día a día contra sus propios monstruos. Inseguridades, falta de amor, relaciones destinadas al fracaso, la frustración de no poder ser madre…
Una mujer brillante, divertida, interesante, empática, con talento… Pero opacada por la imagen que se quería proyectar de ella: la rubia despampanante y tonta.
Pero si lees este libro, descubrirás que Norma Jean era mucho más que Marilyn Monroe. Era mucho más que un mito erótico, mucho más que la actriz rubia encantadora… Era una mujer llena de sentimientos y contradicciones. Una mujer que sentía y padecía. Una mujer que daba todo y más, y que, sin embargo, nunca recibía nada a cambio.
Ojalá alguien hubiera sabido ver a la verdadera Norma Jean. Ojalá alguien le hubiera agarrado la mano, y no se la hubiera soltado nunca.
Porque cuando ella cantaba eso de “I wanna be loved by you…”, de refería a todos. Al mundo. Solo quería que el mundo la quisiera.
A través de las casi 1000 páginas de “Blonde”, asistimos a la vida ficcionada (pero muy bien documentada e investigada) de la icónica actriz. Casi mil páginas de sufrimiento, dolor, tristeza… Es querer sumergirte en las páginas de esta historia, coger la mano de Norma Jean, agarrarla bien fuerte y no soltarla nunca.
Es curioso como las estrellas parecen siempre destinadas a la desdicha. La mujer más deseada de los 50 y 60, amada y adorada por todos y todas. Y, sin embargo, una mujer que luchaba día a día contra sus propios monstruos. Inseguridades, falta de amor, relaciones destinadas al fracaso, la frustración de no poder ser madre…
Una mujer brillante, divertida, interesante, empática, con talento… Pero opacada por la imagen que se quería proyectar de ella: la rubia despampanante y tonta.
Pero si lees este libro, descubrirás que Norma Jean era mucho más que Marilyn Monroe. Era mucho más que un mito erótico, mucho más que la actriz rubia encantadora… Era una mujer llena de sentimientos y contradicciones. Una mujer que sentía y padecía. Una mujer que daba todo y más, y que, sin embargo, nunca recibía nada a cambio.
Ojalá alguien hubiera sabido ver a la verdadera Norma Jean. Ojalá alguien le hubiera agarrado la mano, y no se la hubiera soltado nunca.
Porque cuando ella cantaba eso de “I wanna be loved by you…”, de refería a todos. Al mundo. Solo quería que el mundo la quisiera.
bec_s's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raposo96's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
drgnfly2316's review against another edition
3.0
This was good but I was constantly confused. It was a work of fiction but also somehow a biography? I tended just to believe everything it said, even though I knew that probably wasn't the case. But I thought it was a very interesting portrayal of mental illness.
karinmckercher's review against another edition
3.0
The original manuscript was twice as long, but this novel would have been more impactful had it been half as long. It will be interesting to see what Netflix made of it. 3.75
bikergrrrl's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't finish it. My main issue was with why JCO decided to fictionalize some but not all points. Very odd and I had to move on with my life. I did like some parts, when I could forget it was about a real person and tried to enjoy it as is. Points for good writing.
xcdo's review against another edition
I honestly don’t know how to rate this, so I won’t and will just spill out some of my thoughts.
I’ve never read Joyce Carol Oates but know of her reputation as a writer, and the writing is indeed beautiful. The length of the book is a little intimating and at times (many times) it feels almost tiresome to read, but the writing is good. Because it’s a fictional study of Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe, she has different styles of writing to convey the many facets of Norma Jean; it can almost get overwhelming, like a funhouse mirror maze showing you the same image over and over until you don’t recognize what’s real or not. I think this is the intention, as Norma Jean is introduced in childhood, becoming by steps Marilyn until she can no longer distinguish herself. It’s almost like a slow-burning horror novel at times. I appreciated the intro of the print version I was reading - it talked about how the book was written in 2000, but felt especially prescient in the current era of “Me Too” and the downfall of Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood. It said that this was a feminist and empowering read, despite painting Monroe as a life of tragedy.
But here’s the thing that I’m stuck on: for an examination on how Norma Jean never really got to be herself because of how she was always perceived, and losing herself in that feigned identity, there were many times reading this that I thought to myself, “this feels uncomfortably like exploitation”. I know the derogatory way she’s written about (“look at the ass on that little girl”, every man sexualizing Norma Jean before she’s even a teenager, viewing her only for her cunt or breasts or cotton candy hair, describing her as a sex doll devoid of actual sex) might be Oates’ way of portraying how she/women in general are seen by a misogynistic society, but it still feels uncomfortable and derogatory to read. There’s a phrase towards the end of the book where it describes Marilyn as “being only to be hurt”, and that’s what this whole book felt like to me. It feels like it tries to give Norma Jean depth, while putting her against impossible odds and continually dehumanizing her, even painting her without her name and only as “Blonde Actress” or other monikers. Even her death is painful and without redemption or respect.
I don’t know if I regret reading it, but I’d never read it again. I don’t know if I’d recommend it either. I wanted to read this to maybe watch the Netflix adaptation since I like Ana de Armas, but maybe not.
I’ve never read Joyce Carol Oates but know of her reputation as a writer, and the writing is indeed beautiful. The length of the book is a little intimating and at times (many times) it feels almost tiresome to read, but the writing is good. Because it’s a fictional study of Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe, she has different styles of writing to convey the many facets of Norma Jean; it can almost get overwhelming, like a funhouse mirror maze showing you the same image over and over until you don’t recognize what’s real or not. I think this is the intention, as Norma Jean is introduced in childhood, becoming by steps Marilyn until she can no longer distinguish herself. It’s almost like a slow-burning horror novel at times. I appreciated the intro of the print version I was reading - it talked about how the book was written in 2000, but felt especially prescient in the current era of “Me Too” and the downfall of Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood. It said that this was a feminist and empowering read, despite painting Monroe as a life of tragedy.
But here’s the thing that I’m stuck on: for an examination on how Norma Jean never really got to be herself because of how she was always perceived, and losing herself in that feigned identity, there were many times reading this that I thought to myself, “this feels uncomfortably like exploitation”. I know the derogatory way she’s written about (“look at the ass on that little girl”, every man sexualizing Norma Jean before she’s even a teenager, viewing her only for her cunt or breasts or cotton candy hair, describing her as a sex doll devoid of actual sex) might be Oates’ way of portraying how she/women in general are seen by a misogynistic society, but it still feels uncomfortable and derogatory to read. There’s a phrase towards the end of the book where it describes Marilyn as “being only to be hurt”, and that’s what this whole book felt like to me. It feels like it tries to give Norma Jean depth, while putting her against impossible odds and continually dehumanizing her, even painting her without her name and only as “Blonde Actress” or other monikers. Even her death is painful and without redemption or respect.
I don’t know if I regret reading it, but I’d never read it again. I don’t know if I’d recommend it either. I wanted to read this to maybe watch the Netflix adaptation since I like Ana de Armas, but maybe not.
anniecase45's review against another edition
4.0
It is impossible to describe this book if you haven't read it, as the power is not so much in what happens as the atmosphere Oates creates: there is a gauzy aura over the story. While anyone who is familiar with Marilyn Monroe will recognize the characters and situations, the focus is on her inner world, which seems to unfold in slow-motion, even as the world around her is edgy and fast-paced. There is a recurring theme of family - the wanting of it, the lack of it, the loss of it. Without the stability she is craving, Norma fails to overcome the emptiness inside her. And the result is a shell of a person, who is able to be molded into different women, while never understanding herself. It is an incredibly compelling read.
jennifer_mangieri's review
4.0
Award-winning novelist Joyce Carol Oates gives us a picture of the life of "Marilyn Monroe", born Norma Jeane Baker, in this novel loosely based on Marilyn's life story. From her early childhood (abusive) to her years growing up in an orphanage & various foster homes, to her early marriage & years as a model & starlet, to her stardom, her lovers, her marriages, to her last years, the novel brings to life Marilyn's insecurity, instability, her yearning to prove or justify herself in some way, the tremendous battles she fought with herself every day, just to get by, let alone cope with stardom.
I've read most of JCO's novels & this is one of my favorites. I love the way Oates uses "soft focus" and "hard focus" moments to depict Marilyn's life - the life of a movie star. One moment impressionistic & the next sharply concentrated on a single incident, the technique Oates uses is like the camera in Marilyn's life - shifting around, showing the best of Marilyn one moment & the worst the next. The camera gave Marilyn some of the best times of her life - and some of the worst - & that's how Oates moves around throughout the book - so you really get a sense of the different sides of Marilyn. "Good" Marilyn was talented, beautiful, loving, friendly, funny, studious, a writer, a perfectionist. "Bad" Marilyn was silly, self-destructive, lacking in personal hygiene, self-absorbed, despairing, wasteful, messy, promiscuous, & uncaring about her own time or that of others. I liked the shifting narrators, & bits of journals, letters & other people's stories scattered throughout, to show the different ways Marilyn was perceived and known. Oates also brings to life the Hollywood era of big studios & McCarthy scare tactics - a world in which female stars, even big stars, had little power. Overall a haunting book that made me want to learn more about the real Norma Jeane.
Why you might not like this book though I did - it's very long. It's very sad. You might get impatient with Marilyn. You might get impatient with just about every character in the book - other than Arthur Miller ("the Playwright"), who is given a sympathetic portrayal. If you don't like shifts in narrator, timeframe, etc., you probably won't like it - it can be a little hard to figure out in that way. And yeah...we all know how it ends.
I've read most of JCO's novels & this is one of my favorites. I love the way Oates uses "soft focus" and "hard focus" moments to depict Marilyn's life - the life of a movie star. One moment impressionistic & the next sharply concentrated on a single incident, the technique Oates uses is like the camera in Marilyn's life - shifting around, showing the best of Marilyn one moment & the worst the next. The camera gave Marilyn some of the best times of her life - and some of the worst - & that's how Oates moves around throughout the book - so you really get a sense of the different sides of Marilyn. "Good" Marilyn was talented, beautiful, loving, friendly, funny, studious, a writer, a perfectionist. "Bad" Marilyn was silly, self-destructive, lacking in personal hygiene, self-absorbed, despairing, wasteful, messy, promiscuous, & uncaring about her own time or that of others. I liked the shifting narrators, & bits of journals, letters & other people's stories scattered throughout, to show the different ways Marilyn was perceived and known. Oates also brings to life the Hollywood era of big studios & McCarthy scare tactics - a world in which female stars, even big stars, had little power. Overall a haunting book that made me want to learn more about the real Norma Jeane.
Why you might not like this book though I did - it's very long. It's very sad. You might get impatient with Marilyn. You might get impatient with just about every character in the book - other than Arthur Miller ("the Playwright"), who is given a sympathetic portrayal. If you don't like shifts in narrator, timeframe, etc., you probably won't like it - it can be a little hard to figure out in that way. And yeah...we all know how it ends.