Through oates depiction of monroes life, one can truly start to understand at least how oates sees the inner. Written by joyce carol oates, audiobook narrated by jayne atkinson. Joyce carol oates has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers we were the mulvaneys and blonde a finalist for the national book award, and the new. Stark and penetrating, joyce carol oates s latest novel is a vivid exploration of race, psychological trauma, class warfare, grief, and eventual healing, as well as an intimate family novel in. Blonde is a dazzling fictional portrait of the intricate inner life of the idolized and desired movie star as only the inimitable joyce carol oates could paint it. Published in 2000, joyce carol oates s blonde was conceived on a grand scale, using the legendary marilyn monroe as an emblem of twentiethcentury america. In the perverse manner all too typical of her singular career, oates follows up one of her best novelslast years plaintive broke heart blueswith one of the worst she or any other contemporary serious. Joyce carol oates is a recipient of the national medal of humanities, the national book critics circle ivan sandrof lifetime achievement award, the national book award, and the. Review blonde by joyce carol oates january magazine. Joyce carol oates talks crime fiction, character, and cats. Twenty years ago, joyce carol oates peeled back that polished veneer with blonde, the fivetime pulitzer nominees fictional account of monroes experiences and interior life. Dramatic, provocative and unsettlingly suggestive, blonde is as much a bombshell as its protagonist, the legendary marilyn monroe. Joyce carol oates, pseudonyms rosamond smith and lauren kelly, born june 16, 1938, lockport, new york, u. Joyce carol oates joyce carol oates has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers we were the mulvaneys, blonde, which was nominated for the.
Buy a cheap copy of blonde book by joyce carol oates. Joyce carol oates blonde is a tour deforce that attempts to take us inside the head of the actress who suffered the slings and arrows of hollywood life in full view of the postwar public who alternately. Writing in highly charged, impressionistic prose, oates. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. But now we have joyce carol oates s ambitious 34th book to provide at least some of that longedfor vicarious thrill and human response. Joyce carol oates has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers we were the mulvaneys and blonde a finalist for the national book. Joyce carol oatess blonde is the definitive study of.
Evening standard blonde is an epic achievement, a masterpiece, a piece of art so shatteringly wellconceived and lavishlywrought that at times it almost does not seem like a mere book. Joyce carol oates has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national bestsellers we were the mulvaneys, blonde, which was nominated for the national book award, and. In her book blonde, joyce carol oates again creates a masterpiece of introspection. My introduction to the fiction of joyce carol oates is blonde, a radically distilled accounting of the life and death of. Through oates depiction of monroes life, one can truly start to understand at least how oates sees the inner pathways of monroes thought patterns. It is surprising and shocking to realize that joyce carol oates, one of the great writers living today, has. The 20th anniversary edition of the national book award finalist and national bestseller exploring the life and legend of marilyn monroe in one of her most ambitious works, joyce carol oates boldly reimagines the inner, poetic, and spiritual life of norma jeane bakerthe child, the woman, the fated celebrity, and idolized blonde. The 20th anniversary edition of the national book award finalist and national bestseller exploring the life and legend of marilyn monroe in one of her most ambitious works, joyce carol oates boldly reimagines the inner, poetic, and spiritual life of norma jeane bakerthe child, the woman, the fated celebrity, and idolized blonde the world came to know as marilyn monroe. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Blonde by joyce carol oates nook book ebook barnes.
In other words, blonde capturesas no other book on monroe hasthe. Its one of the reasons i find joyce carol oates marilyn monroe novel from the year 2001, blonde, such an audacious book. Blonde upcoming film blonde is an upcoming drama film written and directed by andrew dominik and based on the novel of the same name by joyce carol oates. So, yes, joyce carol oates masterclass is probably worth your time and money, depending on whether or not you have another way to engage with her teaching. Oates insists that the novel is a work of fiction that should not be. But now we have joyce carol oatess ambitious 34th book to provide at least some of that longedfor vicarious thrill and human response. Blonde novel blonde is a bestselling 2000 historical novel by joyce carol oates that chronicles the inner life of marilyn monroe. Joyce carol oates writes original work of fiction for. My introduction to the fiction of joyce carol oates is blonde, a radically distilled accounting of the life and death of norma jeane baker, who exploded onto screens and magazine spreads in 1950 as marilyn monroe, became a global sex symbol and almost as quickly, exited the world in a drug overdose. Published in 2000, this is fiction, with characters of the authors invention mingling with real people some unidentified by name.
Joyce carol oates books list of books by author joyce. In this ambitious book, joyce carol oates boldly reimagines the inner, poetic, and spiritual life of norma jeane bakerthe child, the woman, the fated celebrity and idolized blonde the world came to know as. Joyce carol oatess epic fictional account of marilyn. Blonde is a bestselling 2000 historical novel by joyce carol oates that chronicles the inner life of marilyn monroe. In a voice startling, intimate, and rich, norma jeane tells her own story. It is to joyce carol oates s credit that she acknowledges in an authors note the books that most influenced her interpretation of monroes life. Joyce carol oates blonde is a tourdeforce that attempts to take us inside the head of the actress who suffered the slings and arrows of hollywood life in full view of the postwar public who alternately adored and despised her. In her authors note, joyce carol oates explains that blonde is a radically distilled life in the form of fiction, not a biography of norma jean baker, a. Blonde joyce carol oates paperback harpercollins publishers.
Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published 58 novels, as well as a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short. At the same time, the page of blonde emphatically states that oates has not written a biography, that her work is the product of her imagination. Oates insists that the novel is a work of fiction that should not be regarded as a biography. Joyce carol oates born june 16, 1938 is an american writer. A selfdescribed distilled life in the form of fiction, blonde tells. See all books authored by joyce carol oates, including we were the mulvaneys, and the scribner anthology of contemporary short fiction. Fifty north american stories since 1970, and more on. Joyce carol oates turns to fiction in a search for the true marilyn hiding behind a whole cast of. Joyce carol oates takes the boldest path to comprehending the riddle, the curse of monroe by proceeding directly and frankly to. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published 58 novels, as well as a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction.
It was a finalist for the pulitzer prize 2001 and the national book award 2000. Is joyce carol oates blonde the great american novel. Oates seems to project the image of an actress who is a natural, one who is defined by the parts that she. A fascinating imagining of the hellish battles that monroe fought with herself. Joyce carol oates takes the boldest path to comprehending the riddle, the curse of monroe by proceeding directly. Here, however, we have to come back to that one factor that keeps me from saying that joyce carol oates. My introduction to the fiction of joyce carol oates is blonde, a radically distilled accounting of the life and death of norma jeane baker, who exploded onto screens and magazine spreads in 1950 as marilyn monroe. List of the published work of joyce carol oates, american writer. In this ambitious book, joyce carol oates boldly reimagines the inner, poetic, and spiritual life of norma jeane bakerthe child, the woman, the fated celebrity and idolized blonde the world came to know as marilyn monroe.