Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters (Abridged)

by Marilyn Monroe, Stanley Buchthal Narrated by Isabel Keating

Overview

Fragments is an event-an unforgettable book that will redefine one of the greatest icons of the twentieth century and that, nearly fifty years after her death, will definitively reveal Marilyn Monroe's humanity.

Marilyn's image is so universal that we can't help but believe we know all there is to know of her. Every word and gesture made headlines and garnered controversy. Her serious gifts as an actor were sometimes eclipsed by her notoriety-and by the way the camera fell helplessly in love with her.

Beyond the headlines-and the too-familiar stories of heartbreak and desolation-was a woman far more curious, searching, witty, and hopeful than the one the world got to know. Now, for the first time, readers can meet the private Marilyn and understand her in a way we never have before. Fragments is an unprecedented collection of written artifacts-notes to herself, letters, even poems-in Marilyn's own handwriting, never before published, along with rarely seen intimate photos.

Jotted in notebooks, typed on paper, or written on hotel letterhead, these texts reveal a woman who loved deeply and strove to perfect her craft. They show a Marilyn Monroe unsparing in her analysis of her own life, but also playful, funny, and impossibly charming. The easy grace and deceptive lightness that made her performances indelible emerge on the page, as does the simmering tragedy that made her last appearances so affecting.

Editorial Reviews

FEBRUARY 2011 - AudioFile

Marilyn Monroe’s recently found introspective written artifacts and other renderings are presented without context or point of view. With only muted trumpet jazz framing the segments, there is no overall explanation of the source materials. Brief editorial notes attempt, with mixed success, to clarify and provide a “who’s who” of first names, initials, and nicknames used. Isabel Keating employs a consistent, if monotone, voicing that reveals Monroe’s humanity, intelligence, sensitivity, and sophistication. However, only in individual moments does she emotionally reflect the themes of disappointment, sadness, and desolation expressed in these jottings. The abridgment of already limited artifacts further contributes to their fragmentary nature. Overall, this production is a frail effort with a weak narration. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2011 - AudioFile

Marilyn Monroe’s recently found introspective written artifacts and other renderings are presented without context or point of view. With only muted trumpet jazz framing the segments, there is no overall explanation of the source materials. Brief editorial notes attempt, with mixed success, to clarify and provide a “who’s who” of first names, initials, and nicknames used. Isabel Keating employs a consistent, if monotone, voicing that reveals Monroe’s humanity, intelligence, sensitivity, and sophistication. However, only in individual moments does she emotionally reflect the themes of disappointment, sadness, and desolation expressed in these jottings. The abridgment of already limited artifacts further contributes to their fragmentary nature. Overall, this production is a frail effort with a weak narration. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169079227
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	10/12/2010
Edition description:	Abridged

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