Blonde (novel)

Blonde

First edition cover
Author	Joyce Carol Oates
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Historical novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	2000
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages	738 pp
ISBN	0-06-019607-6

Blonde is a bestselling 2000 historical novel by Joyce Carol Oates that chronicles the inner life of Marilyn Monroe, though Oates insists that the novel is a work of fiction that should not be regarded as a biography. It was a finalist of the Pulitzer Prize (2001) and the National Book Award (2000).^[1] Rocky Mountain News and Entertainment Weekly have listed Blonde as one of Joyce Carol Oates's best books,^[2][3] and Oates herself has said that Blonde is one of the two books (along with 1969's them) for which she thinks she will be remembered.^[4]

Length and editing

At over 700 pages, Blonde is one of Oates' longest works of fiction. In an interview she said, "I intended it to be a novella, somewhere around 175 pages, and the last words would have been 'Marilyn Monroe.' But over time, I got so caught up in her world that I couldn't stop there. The final result was this book. The first draft was, originally, longer than the version that was finally published. Some sections were shortened while others had to be surgically removed from the book. Those sections will be published separately."^[5]

Names

Although many notable names are changed, Oates sometimes uses recognisable initials such as "C"—a male co-star of Some Like It Hot (presumably Tony Curtis) and more controversially, "R.F"—the commander of the Sharpshooter sent to eliminate Monroe. Many conspiracy theories have Robert F. Kennedy, United States Attorney General and brother of President John F. Kennedy, involved in Monroe's silencing,^[6] following her alleged affairs with both brothers. Only a relationship with the President is explored in the novel.

In Blonde, Monroe's husbands Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller are referred to as the Ex-athlete and the Playwright respectively, with their real names never mentioned. James Dougherty, Monroe's first husband, appears under the pseudonym Bucky Glazer.

Adaptations

In 2001, the novel was adapted into a CBS mini-series of the same name, which followed the novel closely; The New York Times reported that "Often the director read the scene in the novel just before shooting it."^[7] The mini-series departed from the novel in that it does not address the idea (which Oates discusses at length) that Monroe may have been assassinated.^[7]

A film adaptation of the novel is currently in the talks and will be written and directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik. Jessica Chastain is in talks to portray Marilyn Monroe.^[8]

References