Blonde

By: Joyce Carol Oates

Narrated by: Jayne Atkinson

She was an all-American girl who became a legend of unparalleled stature. She inspired the adoration of millions, and her life has beguiled generations of fans and fellow artists. The story of Norma Jeane Baker, better known by her studio name, Marilyn Monroe, has been dissected for more than three decades, but never has it been captured in a narrative as breathtaking and transforming as Blonde.

In her most ambitious work to date, Joyce Carol Oates, one of America's most distinguished writers, reimagines the inner, poetic, and spiritual life of Norma Jeane Baker, the child, the woman, the fated celebrity, and tells the story in Norma Jeane's own voice: startling, rich, and shattering.

Drawing on biographical and historical sources, Joyce Carol Oates evokes the distinct consciousness of the woman and the unsparing reflection of the myth, writing as she has never written before, ecstatic, completely absorbed, inhabited as if by the spirit of her extraordinary subject. Rich with psychological insight and disturbing irony, this mesmerizing narrative illumines Norma Jeane's lonely childhood, wrenching adolescence, and the creation of Marilyn Monroe.

With fresh insights into the heart of a celebrity culture hypnotized by its own myths, Blonde is a sweeping novel about the elusive magic of a woman, the lasting legacy of a star, and the heartbreak behind the creation of the most evocative icon of the 20th century.

©2001 Joyce Carol Oates (P)2001 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Atkinson narrates Oates's fictional biography of Marilyn Monroe in an intense, slightly husky voice that immediately grabs and holds the listener's attention." (Publishers Weekly)

FARCICLE STORY

Talk about rewriting history. Joyce Carol Oates obviously just pumped this story out to make a few bucks and meanwhile added to the misconceptions regarding Marilyn Monroe. Not well written, but well performed. Written like the author walked away from the manuscript for weeks at a time and didn't look at where she left off.

A Literary Triumph

Powerful. First the writing was exceptional. Second, the narration was phenomenal and lit this work on fire! Fabulous as an audio book.

Couldn't stop listening

Rarely write a review, but the melding of prose and reader was so perfect. I don't care about the historical accuracy ... it was psychologically convincing and mesmerizing.

When it's good it couldn't be better

When its bad its only mediocre.

The recreation of her first date with Arthur Miller, for example, is a high point. Her attempts to create great literature don't always work, for example, the opening scene with the messenger boy delivering death.

Conflicted points of view

While lending credibility to the possibility that Marilyn Monroe was misused and misunderstood, reports of her talent are over stated by the author. The voice of the narrator tells us of her lovers, while secondary reports tell us of her depravity. If you accept only the narrator's perspective, then you will be sympathetic to Marilyn's plight. If you believe the narrator's voice telling you how brilliantly she did in "Misfits," then you'll wonder why her name isn't mentioned today with the same reverence as, say, Katherine Hepburn.

What you do gain is insight into the early Hollywood heydays where the studio controlled all and starlets were merely chattel. If this interests you, you will enjoy "Blonde." As a fictionalized biography, Blonde covers most aspects of Marilyn's life yet she still comes off as vacuous in the book as she did in the movies. As with any novel, the key is in having a charater you care about. It's hard to care for Marilyn. I even listened to the interview with the author regarding her character development, but while I could see Oates' craft in the novel, "Blonde" was only fair.

Amazing writing and narration, what a treat!

I've never read a real biography written this way before. Blew me away, so fun. Loved the narrator making the story come to life In a whole new way with her changes in tones and voices.

Exceptional

loved it! hung on every word. the prose like writing appeals to your emotions and connection. Oates has out done it with Blonde!

Great Fictional Bio!

So, apparently the audiobook is the abridged version. I didn't know that until after I listened to it and went back to it and in small letters where no one looks, it does in fact say abridged. So, one day I will just have to buy the actual book to fill in the blanks.

This book is a FICTIONAL BIOGRAPHY. That deserves to be in all caps because people seem to not realize it. Even though this is a work of fiction, you can't help but think that some of this actually happened to her given what we do know to be true about Norma Jeane's past.

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You're a fan of fictional biographies and Hollywood icons.

My Own Fault for Not Noticing

I finished this audiobook thinking, "man, that book could have been awesome, but it felt like the skeleton of an amazing book." It was only then that I saw the word, "abridged," on the file. Curse me for being stupid and curse the monster who invented abridgments and curse the punk who thought this book should abridged.

As it stands, this abridgement was fine. JCO makes a few speculative leaps about the inner workings of Norma Jean cum Marilyn, that feel spot-on. It was the first book I've read where someone really tried to understand the mechanisms of Marilyn's genius. ...and she as a genius at what she did, unquestionably. She was just so good; so talented; so funny.

When JCO comes to Marilyn's sing-song at JFK's birthday I stopped listening and watched the footage on Youtube. She's clearly a little tipsy, and perhaps out of her league in that den of Ivy League privilege, but they were only more educated than Marilyn. They were not smarter, and they might scorn her, but they absolutely bowed to her genius too. All she does is take off a coat and take a breath, and the room is hers. It's incredible.

Anyway, I don't know if I'll go back and read the unabridged version now. Marilyn had a hard life, and this is an equally hard book. It's brilliant, but not pretty.

Abridged!

I don’t see where it says abridged but it is missing a ton of the book! It was hard for me to get into the book reading it myself but I loved the narration. Until I realized it was skipping a lot!!!