The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe

The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O'Hagan, certainly has a catchy title, which seems to be what drew so many people to this rather tiresome book.

It is narrated by Marilyn Monroe's highly intelligent, and well read little dog Maf. A gift to her from Frank Sinatra, Maf went everywhere with Marilyn in the last two years of her life. The book is more a commentary of the times, than a biography of  Monroe's last days.

The fifties are just ending, the sixties have begun, along with the civil rights movement. JFK is elected president and the nation is hopeful. Monroe travels from LA to New York, Mexico and back to LA, always in the circle of artists, intellectuals, singers, musicians, playwrites, movie stars and directors.

Sinatra comes across as a real jerk, and Monroe seems destined to repeat the sadness, lonliness, and mental instability that claimed her mother.

There are some interesting insights in the book, but for the most part I found the writing style tedious and couldn't wait to be done with this book.