Author: Andrew O'Hagan
Translator: Jae-sung Kim
Publisher: Mujintree
368 pages
| Important! Please read before you order! |
| >>>This book is written in Korean. |
About This Book
From Publishers Weekly
O'Hagan (Be Near Me) conjures canine narrator Maf, short for "Mafia
Honey," to introduce readers to a world where dogs' playful manners
belie their capacity for philosophy--Maf is a Trotsky fan--cats speak in
poetic form, and animals provide a gateway into their owners' thoughts
and dreams. A circuitous path leads Maf into the arms of Frank Sinatra
just as he's looking for a gift for Marilyn Monroe. With his new owner,
the lucky pup has a period of perfect companionship in New York City,
attending Sammy Davis Jr. shows, sitting in on analyst appointments,
witnessing Sinatra tantrums, and attending literati gatherings where
those whose artistic sensibilities run counter to his risk being bitten.
Between Maf's ruminations on dog and human nature, his favorite famous
dogs, and the best parks in the world, he bemoans Marilyn's decline.
O'Hagan's witty novel is packed with allusions, and though Maf gives
color and nuance to some historical A-listers, Marilyn, remains
unfortunately elusive. This familiar slice of Americana gets a
much-needed shaking up from an erudite pooch.
Review
"O’Hagan’s seductively witty novel, written from the down-low but
philosophically lofty vantage point of Mafia Honey, the fluffy white
Maltese that was Frank Sinatra’s 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 they’re turning to dust." -More Magazine
"Andrew O’Hagan’s book—inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s real-life Maltese—is
stellar. Whether Maf is buoying his owner’s 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
"Maf’s insights into the vulnerable star’s psyche will make your heart
stop—as will O’Hagan’s writing, which is as clear and lovely as the
Blonde Bombshell’s seductive laugh." - Marie Claire
"Maf, equal parts erudite (a sworn Trotskyite, well-versed in philosophy
and psychology), and canine (he chases rats), tells Monroe’s story from
the ground up." -Interview
"With a nod to Virginia Woolf’s biography of Flush, cheeky Andrew
O’Hagan 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 O’Hagan makes the dialogue sound absolutely authentic... There is a
small but impressive tradition of canine narrators, but I can’t 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)
Product Description
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.
Born in the household of Vanessa Bell, brought to the United States by
Natalie Wood’s mother, given as a Christmas present to Marilyn the
winter after she separated from Arthur Miller, Maf offers a keen insight
into the world of Hollywood’s greatest star. Not to mention a hilarious
peek into the brain of an opinionated, well-read, politically scrappy,
complex canine hero.
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 Actor’s 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
O’Hagan has drawn an altogether original 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.
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