A review by bibliorow
Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates

5.0

Of all the JCO books I’ve been working through on my shelf, I saved this for last, because I knew it would be my favorite. I’ve always loved Marilyn Monroe and have read one or two biographies on her. This was a fictional account of her life but so many of the events were a real part of Hollywood history, and in that way it felt so much more heartbreaking. I’ve seen so many different genres and writing styles from JCO but the way she captures Marilyn Monroe’s life is her best work I’ve read so far. I loved this as much as it was sad to read. It paints a tragic picture of how Marilyn was treated by Hollywood and men, and the unfortunate hand she was dealt in life. I liked how most of the men in her life aside from a select few are only identified by letters of the alphabet or just a placeholder for their name - Z, C, W, H, the Ex-Athlete and the Playwright, and how for a lot of the novel she herself was referred to as just the Blond Actress. It gave a vivid clarity to the story and focused the lens solely on Marilyn in a devastating way. JCO writes the scattered thoughts, deep feelings and turbulent emotions of Marilyn so beautifully that it makes you feel like Joyce knew Monroe personally. This is fictional but it feels incredibly real. Marilyn’s story is one of Hollywood’s greatest tragedies to me, and this 700-page journey through her life gives so much more detail and insight than any other account I’ve read. It also portrays a conspiracy about her death which I somehow never considered before but which I am now entirely fascinated by. This was just so powerful and moving and I loved it so much.