JACKIE O: ON THE COUCH
Latest Review
Praise for Alma Bond’s Marilyn Monroe: On the Couch
“Unlocks the secrets of her charm and attraction!”
― Dr. Abe Bortz, Co-Editor of the Book of the Month Club and History Book
Club Selection Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the
Death of JFK
“If ever anyone could be said to read the minds of the dead, it must be
Dr. Alma Bond. She has once again gotten into the soul and spirit of a
tragic heroine, this time of Marilyn Monroe. As Bond sees her, Marilyn was
a needy child, an intelligent woman, a driven actor, and a sexpot
extraordinaire all in one, calling on her strengths when needed, resorting
to pouty lips and seductive sway when all else failed. Able to go from
sultry siren to dependent child in a matter of minutes, Marilyn was
front-page news wherever she went. Norma Jeane, on the other hand, could
walk through a crowd and never turn a head. In this book, a fictional
psychiatrist—a stand-in for Dr. Bond—tries to help Marilyn reconcile her
disparate feelings, her overwhelming need for approval from men, and her
dysfunctional upbringing.
We all know the story doesn’t end well, but in Bond’s capable hands, we
have a more thorough understanding of the devils that drive Marilyn to her
self-destructive sexual and addictive behaviors. We want her to ‘just say
no!’ but—like going to see Gone with the Wind and hoping it ends
differently—we can only be voyeurs to her impending death. The book is
well written, almost all of it from Marilyn’s point of view. Fifty years
have gone by since her death, and she still remains a thoroughly
memorable, iconic sign of her times. Bond captures that with finesse,
style, and incredible detail.”
―Ann Beardsley, Scribes World Reviews
“Psychoanalyst Dr. Alma Bond has authored a series of ‘On the Couch’ books
that examine the lives of the famous and the fictional, from opera singer
Maria Callas to Lady MacBeth. She always brings a lifetime of knowledge
and experience to her books. Coming in October is one that’s sure to
interest the fans of the movie icon, Marilyn Monroe. Many books have been
written about her, but Marilyn Monroe on the Couch ($23.95, Bancroft
Press) provides insights to the actress who had talent beyond her luminous
beauty and yet remained so fragile despite her fame. Dr. Bond focuses on
her life from the 1950s and 60s, a time in which she sought the help of a
Manhattan psychoanalyst to cope. It’s an illuminating book in ways that
other writers sought to achieve but often missed.”
― Alan Caruba, Bookviews
Title Information
ISBN: 978-1-61088-108-1(HC); 978-1-61088-114-2 (EBook)
TITLE: Marilyn Monroe: On the Couch: Inside the Life and Mind of Marilyn
Monroe
AUTHOR'S LAST NAME: Bond
AUTHOR'S FIRST NAME: Dr. Alma H.
EXACT NAME OF PUBLISHER: Bancroft Press
PUBLISHER PHONE NUMBER: 410-358-0658
PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2013
PRICES: $23.95 (hardcover), $9.99 (ebook)
NUMBER OF PAGES: 260
SUBJECTS/TOPICS OF BOOK: Biography/Historical Fiction
My friend, Dr. Alma Bond, a psychiatrist, has
authored a series of “On the Couch” books that examine the lives of
the famous and the fictional, from opera singer Maria Callas to Lady
MacBeth. She always brings a lifetime of knowledge and experience to
her books. Coming in October is one that is sure to interest the fans
of the movie icon, Marilyn Monroe. Many books have been written about
her, but Marilyn Monroe on the Couch ($23.95, Bancroft Press) provides
insights to the actress who had talent beyond her luminous beauty and
yet remained so fragile despite her fame. Dr. Bond focuses on her fame
from the 1950s and 60s, a time in which she sought the help of a
Manhattan psychoanalyst to cope. It is an illuminating book in ways
that others sought to achieve, but often missed.
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Initially, when
I picked up a copy of Dr. Alma H. Bond's Jackie O On The Couch: Inside the
mind and life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, I couldn't figure out what this book
was all about, and quite honestly I have to confess that I never heard of the
term psycho-biography used to describe the book.
Dr. Bond is not
exactly a novice author, as she has authored nineteen books and was a
psycho-analyst in private practice for thirty-seven years. With Jackie O On
The Couch, she has thoroughly researched the life of Jackie and combines the
results of her travail with her scholarly understanding of the human mind,
providing her readers with an engrossing window in the life of the former
first lady of the United States. In a nut shell, it is as if we are attending
Jackie's therapeutic sessions with her psycho-analyst, peeking through a
keyhole like voyeurs, while she rests on a comfortable couch exposing her
most intimate and personal life experiences. Jackie admits to being a private
person and that living her life has always been more important to her than
writing about it, however, now that she was terminally ill, she wanted to set
the record straight, though only for her family.
Trust me when I
say intimate experiences, as Jackie lets it all out when she describes her
relationships with her first husband, President John F. Kennedy, her second
husband, Aristotle Onassis and her companion for a few years before she died,
Maurice Tempelsman. And if you thought Jackie was
prim and proper, you may have to reconsider when you read about her affair
with Robert Kennedy, her brother-in-law. As for her philandering husband JFK,
Jackie defends herself in not leaving him, and even admits that there was one
affair that was “different and was not one of the playful pool-party type,
indulged in purely for the fun of it. It was a real love affair that lasted
for many years-her name was Mary Meyer.” In addition, Jackie doesn't mince
words when describing her feelings towards her sister-in-law Ethel, Robert's
wife, whom she states, “brought out the worst aspects of her character. I am
ashamed when I think about it now, and I wish it had been otherwise.” As for
her two children, Caroline and John, she has nothing but praise and kindness,
and made sure that they would be well-provided for when she entered into her
marriage with Onassis. We also have the opportunity to learn about Jackie's
compassionate side when she reveals her inner feelings about the most tragic
of the Kennedy sisters, Rosemary who was born with a mild form of mental
retardation.
In the final
analysis, Jackie O On The Couch deserves thoughtful reading as the text bears
witness to details about Jackie's life that most of us know little about,
even though there may be lingering doubts as to how much of what is divulged
is accurate and true. Nonetheless, I am sure after reading this compelling
book, you will reweigh any previous impression you may have entertained about
this complex and mysterious individual.
-Norm Goldman, B.A. LL.L, the
Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures
_________________________________
Jackie O: On the Couch Wins the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award
Jackie O: On the
Couch: Inside the Mind and Life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, by Dr. Alma H.
Bond, has been named the Best Book in the
category of Historical Fiction in the Fall 2011 Pinnacle Book Achievement
Awards. Dr. Bond's book is the bestselling historical fiction in the history
of Bancroft Press. … Excerpts
By
Cottage Grove, OR (PRWEB) December 10, 2011
To read the rest of the Article, please
click on the link below
PRWEB Review
Also Read
It by Visiting
October 6th, 2011
| Author: Dorri Olds …Excerpts
This article is printed in the NY Resident Magazine October 2011
New York City author and
psychoanalyst, Alma H. Bond, dove inside the head of Jacqueline Lee Bouvier “Jackie” Kennedy Onassis in her new book, Jackie
O: On the Couch. After years of meticulous research, Bond combined her skills
as writer and shrink to create a character so believable you feel as though
Jackie O is in your living room.Jackie O is a fast
read filled with intimate details of this fiercely private woman’s life. It’s
as if Jackie herself is baring her soul to you…
Read
the full review by clicking on the blow link :
Review by Dorri
Olds
By Feather Schwartz Foster …Excerpts
The
Fascination with Jackie O
There
have been dozens of books about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The fascination
with her has not ceased even though it has been more than a dozen years since
her death……..
Jackie
O: A Class Act
Jackie
O. was the supreme touch-me-not. The epitome of classiness and style. The
American Queen. Everything she wore was copied, and she wore only the best.
She presented culture in an era where culture was dying. Dr. Bond devotes
considerable space to Jackie’s sincere love of the arts, whether, opera,
theatre, poetry, ballet or visual arts…..
Jackie
O: A Cool Lady
Dr.
Bond is a psychoanalyst with many years of experience, both in her discipline
and as an author. In 260-pages, Dr. Bond does her best to warm up that
quintessential touch-me-not, but Jackie O. is still elusive. The author does
not hesitate to present some of her bad qualities – a shopping habit that
leaves Mary Lincoln in the dust, often done from spite. She does not hesitate
to enter into romantic relationships with already-married men, and seems
perfectly content in the betrayal mode…..
Read
the full review by clicking on the blow link :
Review by Feather Schwartz Foster
Jackie O by http://baltimorebookreviews.wordpress.com/
Jackie
O ON THE COUCH:
Inside the Mind and Life of Jackie Kennedy
Onassis
Alma H. Bond PhD
The
remarkable life and mind of Jackie Kennedy Onassis is both intriguing and
mysterious. But Dr. Alma H. Bond dispels the illusions of this iconic woman’s
life by threading fiction based in fact. Dr. Bond has read over 100 books
about the widow of J.F.K. and has clearly become entranced and fascinated by
the possibilities of such a unique human being as a character and narrator.
Dr. Bond has crafted an enchanting narrator out of the idea of Jackie,
teaching us facts about her very private life we may not know.
Readers who know much about the former First Lady
will enjoy this novel for its thoughtful interpretations of events and
people they are familiar with, while readers new to
many of the facts about this American icon will find themselves enamored with
Mrs. Kennedy, searching out facts about this very private woman’s life.
The
voice of this narrator is so well done, it feels less like Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy laying on the psychoanalytical couch and
more like Jackie O chatting it up over mimosas. The narration sucks you in,
makes you laugh, makes you cry, but most of all, it makes you think.
The
scenes are vivid and dense, especially through the moments of John F.
Kennedy’s death. It is a relatively quick read considering how much it
covers. A page-turner and impossible to put down, Jackie O is a must read.
I
often see photos and posters of Marilyn Monroe and I have never personally
gotten into the craze. In fact, there’s a café I frequent in Boston, MA that
has photos on the bathroom door and the female photo is of her. I am not
going to be liked I am sure for saying this, but if this is some sort of
iconic tribute, I’d really rather see Jackie. Although the last place her
picture belongs is on a bathroom door.
This
book covers just about everything I would want to know about Jackie, from her
upbringing with a womanizing father all the way up to her untimely death. Did
you know Jackie was a book editor at Viking Press? Her maturation through her
relationships beginning with her understanding of her father to her last, and likely most successful, relationship with a male
companion is explored. Jackie was in a culturally transitional period in
American history that drove some women to suicide and others to
over-experimentation, but she knew how to keep her eloquence, tact, and
taste. Even in jeans and a T-shirt making her own instant coffee, the
perpetually envied and ever elegant Jackie O.
Pub
Date: 08/15/2011
ISBN: 9781610880213
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