Synopses & Reviews
A One-of-a-Kind Portrait of the Woman Behind the Icon, and the Dog Behind the Woman“[Maf] will make your heart stop—as will OHagans writing, which is as clear and lovely as the Blonde Bombshells seductive laugh.”—Marie Claire
“A very real contender for the wittiest, wisest, most winning book of the year.”—Parade
In 1960, Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a dog. A scrappy Maltese Terrier, Maf was with Marilyn the last two years of her glittering but turbulent life. He had an instinct for celebrity. For politics. For psychoanalysis. For liver treats with a side order of National Biscuits. And here, through his eyes, ears, and wet nose, OHagan offers us a Marilyn that no paparazzo, devotee, or lover could, in a rollicking and revelatory voice worthy of her legacy.
“Maf the Dog, like Lolita, like The Great Gatsby, is a threnody for lost innocence. Maf is a shrewd observer of the modern age and of the American century.”—John Banville
“A marvelously entertaining, smart and insightful look at stardom, loneliness and loyalty . . . OHagan turns that little dog into an engaging, witty and often surprising narrator.”—St. Petersburg Times
ANDREW OHAGAN was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His previous novels have been awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the E. M. Forster Award.
Review
"OHagans
seductively witty novel, written from the down-low but philosophically lofty vantage point of Mafia Honey, the fluffy white Maltese that was Frank Sinatras gift to his gentle, needy friend Marilyn. Maf, a British import, is fiercely political (a Trotskyite), erudite and snootily stylish (caring about home décor, he tells us, is "part of my pedigree"). He skewers the Hollywood elite while coming to adore his "fated companion" whose tenuous dreams he can read distinctly even as theyre turning to dust."
-More Magazine "Andrew OHagans book—inspired by Marilyn Monroes real-life Maltese—is stellar. Whether Maf is buoying his owners spirits or coolly assessing Susan Sontag, he has a nose for silliness and deep sadness. Of course, it helps that, as he notes, dogs ‘can hear what people are saying to themselves, and we can sniff illusion. This December surprise is a very real contender for the wittiest, wisest, most winning book of the year."
-Parade "Mafs insights into the vulnerable stars psyche will make your heart stop—as will OHagans writing, which is as clear and lovely as the Blonde Bombshells seductive laugh."
-Marie Claire
"Maf, equal parts erudite (a sworn Trotskyite, well-versed in philosophy and psychology), and canine (he chases rats), tells Monroes story from the ground up."
-Interview "With a nod to Virginia Woolfs biography of Flush, cheeky Andrew OHagan channels The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of his Friend Marilyn Monroe."
-Vanity Fair "Andrew O'Hagan's novel perfectly captures the legendary actress. There are numerous scenes between famous people, some of whom I have known, and OHagan makes the dialogue sound absolutely authentic... There is a small but impressive tradition of canine narrators, but I cant imagine there was ever a dog as erudite and well spoken as dear old Mafia Honey. Enthralling."
-Peter Bogdanovich, Daily Telegraph "Andrew O'Hagan's new novel The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog is a miracle and will become a classic. I loved, loved it. If only Marilyn Monroe were alive to read it."
- Edna O'Brien "It's brilliant, the novel, a joy to read. Moving, and very funny - and sad. Maf is wonderful. And so is Marilyn. That 'scene' with her analyst is extraordinary; I was chewing my foot reading it….The whole novel is great and I'm proud to know the man who wrote it."
- Roddy Doyle "This is one of those rare books, written with such sureness of pace and lightness of touch that you find you have read a hundred pages without looking up. It is filled with sly jokes, funny wisdom, and deep feeling for character and scene. But more than anything, it is a book utterly alert to the reader's pleasure; and that pleasure, so sheer and total, is what makes this book so special."
- Colm Tóibín ‘A virtuoso act of ventriloquism ... [Monroe's] pet offers a startling insight into Hollywood, psychotherapy, politics and literary in-fighting, as well as a private portrait of one of the world's most famous and troubled women ... The terrible pathos of the human and canine condition is never far from the glittering surface of this marvellously imaginative, clever, entertaining and profoundly melancholy novel.
- Sunday Telegraph(UK) ‘Refreshingly, O'Hagan doesn't present Marilyn as a cautionary tale of an object of pity. He understands that she spent her life trying to earn respect, and clearly intends this book as a tribute.
- The Guardian | Observer Magazine (UK) "Many an esteemed novelist has tried and failed to capture the charisma of Marilyn Monroe. Drawing on actual events, OHagan avoids the pitfalls of his predecessors by treating the actress like a human being. ...a star-studded biography of humanity and dogs, their many beautiful bonds, and the tragic distance that remains between them.... OHagans incredible gift for dialog will give you giggles and goose bumps. Forever and always recommended. "
- Library Journal, starred review A "witty novel... This familiar slice of Americana gets a much-needed shaking up from an erudite pooch."
- Publishers Weekly, pick of the week "OHagan gives us a sharp picture of American cultural life in the early 1960s... An unusual, quirky and fun read."
- Kirkus, starred review "OHagan ornaments his wry humor with sparkling gems of prose...an enjoyable, thoughtful diversion..."
-Booklist ‘O'Hagan might, on the strength of this [novel], be the person to break the Booker's fear of funny.
- Scotland on Sunday (UK) ‘[One of} the best novels I have read this year ... [a] crowded and deleriously wonderful comedy of ideas ... O'Hagan has stupendous fluency and sanity, together with a slightly surreal reliance on autobiography.
- New Statesman (UK) ‘Maf becomes a wry observer, and the novel a fascinating and frequently funny commentary on politics, celebrity (the descriptions of Sinatra are show-stealing) and racism ... The writing is undeniably clever and the research immaculate.
- Metro
Synopsis
In November 1960, Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a dog. His name was Mafia Honey, or Maf for short. He had an instinct for celebrity. For politics. For psychoanalysis. For literature. For interior decoration. For Liver Treat with a side order of National Biscuits.
Maf was with Marilyn for the last two years of her life, first in New York, where she mixed with everyone who was anyone—the art dealer Leo Castelli, Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio crowd, Upper West Side émigrés—then back to Los Angeles. She took him to meet President Kennedy and to Hollywood restaurants, department stores, and interviews. To Mexico, for her divorce.
With style, brilliance, and panache, Andrew OHagan has drawn a one-of-a-kind portrait of the woman behind the icon, and the dog behind the woman.
Synopsis
In November 1960, Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a dog. His name was Mafia Honey, or Maf for short. He had an instinct for celebrity. For politics. For psychoanalysis. For literature. For interior decoration. For Liver Treat with a side order of National Biscuits.
Maf was with Marilyn for the last two years of her life, first in New York, where she mixed with everyone who was anyone--the art dealer Leo Castelli, Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio crowd, Upper West Side emigres--then back to Los Angeles. She took him to meet President Kennedy and to Hollywood restaurants, department stores, and interviews. To Mexico, for her divorce.
With style, brilliance, and panache, Andrew O'Hagan has drawn a one-of-a-kind portrait of the woman behind the icon, and the dog behind the woman.
Synopsis
"Maf," Marilyn Monroe's dog and a gift from Frank Sinatra, tells his life story.
Synopsis
"Maf"-- Marilyn Monroe's dog, a gift from Frank Sinatra-- tells his life-story
Synopsis
Meet Maf: The hilariously opinionated, well-read, politically scrappy, and complex canine companion to Marilyn Monroe.
In November 1960, Frank Sinatra gave Marilyn Monroe a dog. His name was Mafia Honey, or Maf for short. Born in the household of Vanessa Bell, brought to the United States by Natalie Woods mother, and given as a Christmas present to Marilyn the winter after she separated from Arthur Miller, Maf was with Marilyn for the last two years of her life, first in New York and then in Los Angeles, and he had as much instinct for celebrity and psychoanalysis as he did for Liver Treat with a side order of National Biscuits. Marylin took him to meet President Kennedy and to Hollywood restaurants, to department stores, to interviews, and to Mexico for her divorce. Through Maf's eyes, we see an altogether original and wonderfully clever portrait of the woman behind the icon—and the dog behind the woman.
About the Author
ANDREW O'HAGAN was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His previous novels have been awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the E. M. Forster Award.