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A review by racheybakey
Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
About 400 pages of Blonde were 5 star passages of literature. The remaining 300 were nonsense and fodder.
Oates has achieved something amazing here, by taking an icon and a context and developing it into a genuis, beautifully written meditation on fame and the toxicity of modern media. However, the second half of the book becomes repetitive and I skimmed a lot of it.
The first half of the book uses amazing language around the setting of Los Angeles to evoke why it was easy to go mad in the town. In these sections Norma Jeane's voice is strong and emotive, but her voice fades as Oates explores the deteoriation of her mental health. This leaves the narrative messy and even annoying at tim am
The theme of the 'Dark Prince' throughout feels hammy at first, but comes to a stunning conclusion, presenting a daring perspective on her death while upholding the notion that Norma Jeane was always under threat by the patriarchy.
Overall, I both loved and hated this book, and will think about it for a very long time.
Oates has achieved something amazing here, by taking an icon and a context and developing it into a genuis, beautifully written meditation on fame and the toxicity of modern media. However, the second half of the book becomes repetitive and I skimmed a lot of it.
The first half of the book uses amazing language around the setting of Los Angeles to evoke why it was easy to go mad in the town. In these sections Norma Jeane's voice is strong and emotive, but her voice fades as Oates explores the deteoriation of her mental health. This leaves the narrative messy and even annoying at tim am
The theme of the 'Dark Prince' throughout feels hammy at first, but comes to a stunning conclusion, presenting a daring perspective on her death while upholding the notion that Norma Jeane was always under threat by the patriarchy.
Overall, I both loved and hated this book, and will think about it for a very long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Suicide