The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of his friend Marilyn Monroe by Andrew O’Hagan

The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of his friend Marilyn Monroe is full of references to literary greats and politics; much is discussed about the political parties and concerns at the time, around 1960, and therefore as my knowledge on this is limited I feel as though I couldn’t appreciate it as much as some other readers would. I still enjoyed reading the book and learnt quite a lot but for all of the readers out there who are knowledgeable about literary greats and politics I can assure you, you will enjoy this book even more. Last year I did read The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky so I understood those references and liked reading the discussions surrounding it. Andrew O’Hagan must be a very intelligent man and I imagine someone you could sit down and have an engrossing conversation with. The information provided seems effortless and is presented in such a way that it doesn’t even register you’re learning about true events. Full credit to Andrew for producing a book like this one.

This book is told from Maf’s point of view, a dog given to Marilyn Monroe as a present by Frank Sinatra in 1960. Maf is such a loveable character and to see the world through his eyes I thought was such a great way to tell the story. Maf lives with Marilyn for the last 2 years of her life and so we learn about her relationships, work and love for Maf. Maf is a very intelligent dog who likes politics, literature and, something perhaps you wouldn’t have guessed, interior design. Throughout the story he talks with other animals and their dialogue is entertaining and full of humour. One thing Maf brings to light is why dogs dislike cats – it’s not what us humans would think, it is because cats tend to talk in poetry! Little things like this, humour and some great gems in the footnotes really give the reader a pleasurable reading experience.

All in all it was a pleasure to read, I learnt a lot and loved the idea it was based on true facts but told through the eyes and voice of little Maf. I fell in love with Maf and now I just want to know about his next adventure. A fan of Marilyn who is interested in the politics and ways of the world just prior to her death will enjoy this book.

To read the blurb for The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of his friend Marilyn Monroe click here

A big thank you to Jess over at Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this book and adding a new favourite character in Maf to my list. Thanks, Jess!