Marilyn Monroe on the Couch: Inside the Mind and Life of Marilyn Monroe
Imagine if one of the most famous women in the world walked into your office, seeking psychoanalysis, and bared her secrets and scars for you to see? That’s the scenario envisioned by Dr. Alma Bond in Marilyn Monroe on the Couch, as her fictional stand-in (Dr. Darcey Dale) becomes Marilyn’s confidante.
Now, I must preface this review by stating I’ve read several Monroe biographies, so I’m already very familiar with her story and the trials and tribulations of her life. I suspect I would’ve enjoyed this book far more had I been less acquainted with Monroe’s life and exploits. That being said, Marilyn Monroe on the Couch comes off as a thinly-veiled biography containing precious little insight. The Marilyn character herself provides more analysis than the Darcey character, and neither offers any perspective you couldn’t have gleaned from the numerous competently researched biographies already out there.
The book suffers from an additional stumbling block: the psychologist’s rampant fangirling makes her totally ineffectual, leaving her justifying Monroe’s actions and beliefs instead of offering a measured response. (Darcey’s needless attacks on the foster system, which were overwhelmingly negative and dismissive, left a similarly bad taste in my mouth.)
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Star Count | 2.5/5 |
Format | Trade |
Page Count | 260 pages |
Publisher | Bancroft Press |
Publish Date | 2013-Oct-30 |
ISBN | 9781610881081 |
Bookshop.org | Buy this Book |
Issue | January 2014 |
Category | Biographies & Memoirs |
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