Marilyn Dernières Séances (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
This book, first published in France, has recently been translated. It is based on the supposed 'transcripts' of tapes made by Marilyn Monroe for her psychiatrist, Dr Ralph Greenson, before her death in 1962. The transcripts were made by a detective, John Miner, from memory over 20 years later. They caused quite a sensation but have been widely disputed. In my opinion, they make a poor basis for a novel or biography. Inexplicably, 'Marilyn's Last Sessions' won a major literary prize in France. Michel Schneider must be a respected author and I did find some of his ideas on psychoanalysis interesting. Unfortunately, he is not successful in creating a compelling story. I learned nothing new about either Marilyn or Greenson. Their relationship was two-dimensional and some of the dialogue was laughably contrived. Another irritant was Schneider's habit of copying lengthy passages of text from other sources. Perhaps he was trying to prove the authenticity of his work, but to me it just came across as lazy. Schneider is clearly an intelligent man with an impressive knowledge of the history of psychoanalysis, and the subject matter alone is intriguing. Ultimately this is just another reductive portrait of Monroe, and a disappointing read.
Ce livre a suscité en moi des sentiments paradoxaux. Je l'ai trouvé trop long : 500 pages serrées, répétitives, hypnotiques. Et pourtant j'ai aimé cette succession rapide de courts billets de 3-4 pages jouant à saute-moutons entre les époques. J'ai trouvé qu'il ne nous apprenait rien. On savait déjà que Marilyn s'était suicidée et que les théories autour de son assassinat par la mafia et/ou le FBI et/ou la CIA étaient fumeuses. Et pourtant, il ne prend pas parti sur les causes de sa mort, n'écarte aucune hypothèse.Je n'ai pas aimé ce livre de psychanalyste qui parle de psychanalyse aux analysés que nous avons tous été , sommes ou serons un jour. Et pourtant, je me suis laissé prendre à cette longue description de l'échec d'une cure. Arte avait demandé à Michel Schneider un scenario sur la psychanalyse et le cinéma. En faisant des recherches, l'auteur avait découvert la matière d'un livre. Finalement, trois ans plus tard, il en fera un documentaire qu'on peut télécharger (légalement ?) sur Dailymotion : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa0k.... La boucle était bouclée.
What do You think about Marilyn Dernières Séances (2006)?
A fictional account of Marilyn Monroe's last days. It's almost real, in some ways, except for the fact that some details are too fictional to behold. Case in point: The afternoon of August 4, 1962--the afternoon before Marilyn died, because the meeting with Lawrence Schiller wasn't even mentioned, and some stuff like that.It's a dark, gripping look at the life of one of celluloid's biggest and most tragic stars, and how psychoanalysis helped, and ruined her. It also talks about Marilyn's alleged "affair" with her last analyst, Ralph Greenson, and the audio tapes she was said to have left behind. Mafia stuff are discussed. The Kennedys are discussed. It makes you think more about Marilyn and how she really could've been. Who she really was.You'll feel more for her, and think about what's real, and what's not.P.S. Of course I read the English version.
—Cassandra Javier
