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The Misfit

By: Steven Poser
Narrated by: Steven Menasche
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Publisher's summary

Dr. Ralph Greenson, the star of Hollywood psychoanalysts, treated Marilyn Monroe for 15 months until her August 1962 suicide. He saw her seven days a week and brought her into his home. He never got over losing her. Written by a practicing psychoanalyst, The Misfit recounts this tragic alliance and Marilyn Monroe’s borderline personality.

©2011 Steven Poser (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
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Editorial reviews

While many fans know that Marilyn Monroe was troubled, this short audiobook reveals the harrowing extent of her problems, and provides a window into her relationship with the last analyst who tried to treat them. Ralph Greenson was a star psychoanalyst in midcentury Hollywood who felt that Monroe's psyche was too weak for the usual Freudian methods. Instead, he virtually adopted Monroe in an attempt to give her the stability and support she craved. While the experience might have provided Monroe some solace, it came at great personal and professional cost to Greenson. Narrator Steven Menasche's expert performance creates a sense of personal intensity around the fascinating story of the relationship between doctor and patient, which Poser says may have been the most important Monroe ever had with a man.

What listeners say about The Misfit

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not too bad!

This short biography of Marilyn Monroe was interesting, quite informative, and kept my interest all the way through. Undoubtedly there are far better, more comprehensive biographies out there, but not yet having read or listened to any of them, I found this one to be quite sufficient. Poor Marilyn Monroe, she had a lot of emotional problems….😢

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

More about therapy than about Marilyn

If you are into therapy and psychoanalysis, you'll enjoy this. The Marilyn fan might be a little disappointed, tho.

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Powerfull

What did you love best about The Misfit?

An exciting story about Norma Jean AKA Marilyn Monroe, and the attempts to save her short and tragic life. Poser writes a suspenseful and compelling story. A unique glimpse into the life of a Hollywood starlet, and the brief and tragic story of her rise and fall. A well written compelling story that flows very nicely. A revealing and sincere story that is very addictive.

What other book might you compare The Misfit to and why?

The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe

What does Steven Menasche bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Very well read. A pure pleasure to listen too.

Any additional comments?

Excellent!!!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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DID ANYONE CONSIDER SUBSTANCE ABUSEQ

I don’t know how ANYONE can diagnose any mental or physical illness until all drugs and alcohol are completely out of the patient’s system—-that is likely a couple of months after terminating the alcohol and drugs. As more than one Ph.d psychologist and psychiatrist has told me, “You don’t know what you have until you factor out the effects of self medication.” I don’t think it was any secret Marilyn abused drugs and alcohol.
I am probably one of the few who believe in Freudian psychoanalysis. To me it is a depth threat, not so much to treat severe mental illness, but pluming the depths of one’s psyche. Naturally one expects a positive change in the patient’s mental and perhaps physical condition.
Dr. Greeson noted it would be years before MM would be ready for psychoanalysis. I don’t think certain conditions like personality disorders or bipolar respond to psychoanalysis.If I could I would love to be plumb the depths of my psyche.

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lovely book

It was an easy to listen to book. I was surprised when it was finished which is a good thing I guess. Many unknown facts about Marylin. I enjoyed it!

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excellent!

LOVED IT. EXCELLENT. I WANT RESEARCH HER AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HER. I AM LOOKING FORD TO IT!

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Sad Tale of Marilyn Monroe

This short (under two hours) tale of Marilyn Monroe and her psychiatrist is a sad one for sure. The whole world has been captivated by Marilyn and her beauty, but the fact is she never grew up or learned to deal with real life. It makes me wonder if a different approach and some tough love might have been more beneficial to her, but no one had the guts to do it. I cannot imagine a person being so self absorbed and focused on their own looks and their own body, and using it as a tool to manipulate others. I'm very sad about her birth and childhood, but at some point in our lives we all have to come to terms with the things and circumstances which have caused us to be the way that we are. And I'm not unsympathetic, just realistic. I'm an adult child of an alcoholic, who learned early on to take care of myself. It was no fun. I have to say that Marilyn surrounded herself by a myriad of enablers and continued to act like a two year old all of her life, right up until the end, and went out of this life throwing one more fit. 😥

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    4 out of 5 stars
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For once a More Analytical Read

This is not your usual gossipy Hollywood bio. It actually has some credible and knowledgeable analysts of Marilyn. No matter how it’s told, it is still a sad story.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Interesting

Interesting case for a psicoanalist like myself. Though there are a number of dates repeated and it could be more organized.

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