Marilyn Monroe - Softcover

McCann, Graham

3.95

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Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813513030 ISBN 13: 9780813513034

Publisher: Rutgers University Press, 1988

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This book is more than simply another biography of Marilyn Monroe: it analyzes the ways in which her life was interwoven with the images that were constructed of her and the myths that were spun around her. The book's claim to originality lies in its attempt to analyze in a serious way her life, her films and her relation to modern culture. Drawing on critical theory, feminism and film studies, the author re-examines the life and representations of Marilyn Monroe, from her first studio appearance in 1947 to her last tragic performance in "The Misfits". He analyzes the writings of the (mostly male) biographers who, he argues, represent Monroe as other than she was or wanted to be and thus brings another Marilyn Monroe to light: he shows how this perceptive, intelligent and sensitive person was denied her own image. This book should appeal to a wide audience, and be used on courses in film and cultural studies. It is an analysis of the sexual politics and cultural mythology of our time. The work is aimed at a general readership interested in Marilyn Monroe, film and contemporary culture, as well as students and academics in media and cultural studies, sociology and social theory.

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About the Author:

Graham McCann is a British author and historian[1] who has written extensively on film and television stars and British comedy series. He is a former lecturer and fellow at the University of Cambridge where he taught social and political theory. McCann has become noted for his biographies on figures such as Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe, John Le Mesurier, Woody Allen and Terry-Thomas, and books about British television comedy such as Dad's Army, Only Fools and Horses and Fawlty Towers. He also contributes to various newspapers.

From Library Journal:

Arguing that "to comprehend the complexity of Monroe . . . entails comprehending the complexity of ourselves ," McCann surveys and criticizes what has been written about her from a self-professed feminist perspective. Though well intentioned, his attempt compassionately to reconstruct her image"to cancel out the other male texts, to consciously counteract the distortions fostered by men's uncritical styles"frequently founders in unnecessarily vague and often jargon-ridden prose that will try the patience of most readers. Those who stick it through will discover that a briefer essay could have done the job more concisely. Marshall Deutelbaum, Purdue Univ., W . Lafayette, Ind.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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