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Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates is a 2017 Ecco Publication.

Let me begin by saying I have had this book on my TBR list long before a Netflix movie was even thought of. I was advised that reading a good traditional biography about Marilyn Monroe before starting this one would be a good idea, so, dutifully, I squeezed in a lengthy biography over Monroe, back in the spring. (Marilyn: The Biography by Donald Spoto)

Truthfully, that book was depressing, and I needed a little break before tackling this tome about Marilyn.

But then the rumors I’d heard about a Netflix movie based on this book started heating up and I wanted to read this book before I saw the movie, so I put everything else aside and got started on it. I was only about halfway into the book when the movie premiered-

And like every single other thing these days it got the controversial treatment- When the reviews starting coming in they were mixed- but mostly, critics and viewers alike complained of exploitation- and there's that NC-17 rating, on top of being three hours long.

All this bad press made me curious about how well this book was received, so I took a peek at the ratings. Curiously, on ŷ������, this book has over twelve thousand ratings and boasts a 4.01 average, ( at the time of this writing), which is pretty darned good, actually. So maybe this is another one of those instances where the movie was LOOSELY based on this novel and maybe it took more liberties with the book than JCO did with Marilyn’s life. (JCO claims she had nothing to do with the film and even she had to take a break from its brutality)

I haven’t seen the movie, at this writing, and now I can’t say I’m in a hurry to do so- though I might change my mind later- but there are a few things to keep in mind if one is considering reading the book the film is based on. Readers have long lamented movie adaptations of books and the material- or any material for that matter, based on Marilyn Monroe is going to be exploitive, because frankly, Marilyn and exploitation always went hand in hand during her life, and far too long after her death.

Another thing to consider is that the masses seldom do their homework before watching a movie based on a book. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I suspect very few of the critics- and none the outspoken Twitter crowd, have read Marilyn's biography, or this book, before watching the film. Just something to keep in mind.

This book, like any other book of historical fiction based on real people, has taken liberties- sometimes with times, or places, events, and most certainly with the facts- more so than most, I’d say.

Some authors like to make their fictionalized versions of a person’s life as close to reality as possible, while others go so far as to completely re-imagine someone’s life. I think JCO did a little of both here. Some parts of the novel are total fabrications- completely made-up out of whole cloth, but in other areas, the people are familiar- if not named outright- and the scenes described are authentic- and those are the ones people object to the most. Sadly, as much as we would like to believe differently, the book in many ways probably hits a little too close to the bone and most people don't want to believe that, preferring to hold on to a fantasy image of the late star, instead.

Yes, it’s brutal, but the book shows the ‘Blonde actress�� as a separate entity from Norma Jeane- and it is Norma Jeane, and her private battles that take center stage here.

I really do think Marilyn was an unhappy person- her non-fictional biography certainly gives off that vibe- But putting those truths into JCO hands, is sure to expand on that vibe exponentially- something those familiar her literary style can attest to, I'm sure.


This novel is dark and heavy- and though the accusations of exploitation nearly always has some merit- I think that the author’s distinction between the public persona and Norma Jeane diminished that to some degree-rather showing how the actress was exploited by Hollywood and the toll it took on her personal life, which was already marred by a myriad of other demons, in my opinion, at least.

All that said, this is an interesting take on the life of the ‘Blonde Actress�� and the woman behind the image. The approach is idiosyncratic and does require one to pay attention, read between the lines, and remain open to JCO interpretation of Marilyn- because that isn’t always easy.

Was the book what I was expecting? No, not really. Did I like it? In some ways, yes, and in other ways, no. I’m glad I read it, as I’ve been curious about it for ages- but I do think that now, after spending a fair amount of time with Marilyn this year- I’m inclined to agree that it is well past time to let both the ‘Blonde Actress�� and Norma Jeane finally rest in peace��

3.5 stars