Marilyn Monroe Novel Is as Complex as the Actress Herself

Joyce Carol Oates has written a novel about Norma Jeane Baker. She tells of a lonely, abandoned and needy young woman who is used and abused by the same men who bestow upon her stardom and fame. Based in fact and written as fiction, “Blonde” is by turns unusual, creative and occasionally turgid. (Harper Audio; abridged fiction; six cassettes; nine hours; $29.95; read by Jayne Atkinson.)

Intelligent, witty, troubled and cursed with a luscious body, the actual Norma Jeane was as complex as this tale. Historical figures as well as compilations of real-life people enter into the story, some of which is true, some of which is a flight of fancy.

Written as a mystery, the book ends enigmatically with the actress’ death at age 36. Was she quietly killed to alleviate embarrassment over her presidential affair? Or did she accidentally overdose? Unfortunately, the ambiguous, dreamlike, stream-of-consciousness ending does not translate to audio, as it was too greatly truncated.

This sad and touching portrait is a combination of fantasy, rumor and reality, some of which is beautifully written. However, at 738 pages, the print version is also bloated. Therefore, the abridgment saves you from some of Oates’ overwritten prose and excessive verbiage. Excluding the botched ending, the abridgment flows quite smoothly, considering that only half of the book is included in the truncation.

Norma Jeane/Marilyn Monroe speaks with a distinctive voice in the novel, and reader Jayne Atkinson understands and expresses her vulnerability and sly humor. She relies on quick energy and a slightly breathy speech pattern when Norma “becomes” Marilyn, yet she uses this conceit with constraint. Her Marilyn never becomes a parody of the flesh-and-blood actress, but instead conveys her ultra-feminine and seemingly defenseless qualities.

Atkinson’s voice is just this side of sultry. She deftly changes tone and pacing for other characters in the story, most notably that of Norma Jeane’s mother, a manic depressive. Atkinson expresses the mother’s highs and lows by flattening her voice or quickening and hardening her speech.

Audiophiles may not be able to buy the unabridged novel on cassette, but the recorded version offers a bonus in the form of an intelligent and thoughtful interview with Oates. Michael Silverblatt, host of KCRW-FM’s “Bookworm,” coaxes intriguing information from the author, but the production values of this segment are dismal. The quality is amateurish and annoying, with ambient noise including chirping birds and passing cars.

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Another bestselling author with a recent audio release is Rosamunde Pilcher. However, “Sleeping Tiger” was written in 1967, before she had sharpened her writing skills. (Audio Editions; unabridged fiction; four cassettes; five hours and 30 minutes; $24.95; read by Jan Carey.)

A fairly predictable but moderately amusing romance set in the 1960s, this was one of the first novels published under Pilcher’s name. Previously, her romances appeared under the pen name Jane Fraser.

The story follows Selena, a young heiress who had grown up believing her father died in World War II. A few weeks after her grandmother (and guardian) dies, she thinks she sees a picture of her father on a book jacket. Selena traces this man to a small village in Spain. Though she is unschooled in travel and quite naive, she leaves England for the continent and a confrontation with this unsuspecting author.

Pilcher captures the era, and it is amusing to hear of the shocking qualities of a bikini. She also weaves a few provocative Oedipal aspects into a mostly forgettable story. However, little is made of the exotic locale, as “Sleeping Tiger” lacks the descriptive qualities of Pilcher’s later novels, such as “The Shell Seekers.”

Actress Jan Carey is the one bright voice in this lackluster outing. She has great diction and a nicely modulated, moderately deep voice. Each of the characters is given a unique vocal personality. Selena sounds young and guileless, whereas an older woman is appropriately controlling and arrogant. Carey’s Spanish accents, however, are merely average, as they are delivered with too much dramatic flair.

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Rochelle O’Gorman reviews audio books every other week. Next week: Dick Lochte on mystery books.