Marjorie Morningstar (novel)

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Marjorie Morningstar is a 1955 novel by Herman Wouk, about a woman who wants to become an actress. In 1958, the book was made into a Hollywood feature movie starring Natalie Wood, also titled Marjorie Morningstar.

Marjorie Morgenstern is a New York Jewish girl in the 1930s, who longs to become an actress. She is supposedly very beautiful, and has the hearts of many men.

In hopes of pursuing her dream, she comes up with the name Marjorie Morningstar.

Throughout the book, she meets many interesting characters. One is Marsha, who confidence that Marjorie will become a huge sensation. Another is Wally Wronkin, who throughout most of the novel has a crush on Marjorie, though he turns out to be quite a wonderful friend to Marjorie. In the end, surprisingly, Marjorie comes quite close to asking him to marry her, though ends up deciding against it, and she stands him up. Poor Wally never learns that his beloved Marjorie wanted to marry him. The very last chapter is Wally's journal entry, which states that Wally is the one to in fact become famous. He meets Marjorie once again years later to find what she has become.

The most vital character in Marjorie Morningstar is Noel Airman, an intelligent writer, with many unique ideas. The problem is that he does not believe in marriage. Poor Marjorie tries again and again to change his mind, but he hurts her one too many times, and he runs away to Paris. Marjorie follows him there, and he finally breaks down and says he will get married. The climax is when Marjorie decides that she does not want to marry him.

The end of the book reveals, when Wally goes to visit her, that Marjorie gives up her dreams of becoming a famous actress, and she settles down with a husband and four children. Though, Marjorie is happy, Wally observes that, Marjorie Morningstar, the girl he once knew, is gone.

In his book "700 Sundays", actor/comedian Billy Crystal writes: "Another of my mom's cousins was married to a woman whom I knew as Cousin Marjorie. She was a quiet, very lovely woman. Only a few years ago I found out she was actually the 'Marjorie' that 'Marjorie Morningstar' was written about".


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