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Since Marilyn Monroe’s death, there has been no shortage of biographies, documentaries, document series, coffee table books, oral history, podcasts, and art created in her memory – all of which, in their various ways, serve as a way to better understand the incomparable icon whose life was famous for its mystery.
In September, Ana de Armas will attempt to reveal more about Monroe’s life in “Blond,” adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ bestselling novel. The film, like the book, is a reimagined version of Monroe’s life that fuses fact and fiction to paint a picture of what Marilyn Monroe represented during this Hollywood era.
But behind the images that made Monroe the ultimate sex symbol are complex emotions, deep intelligence, and a rich history that eventually led to her premature death at the age of 36.
Below, check out some of the best books about Marilyn Monroe to read before watching “Blonde” this fall. Check out more books being made into TV shows and movies here.
Marilyn: Norma Jean by Gloria Steinem
Courtesy of Amazon
From feminist icon and activist Gloria Steinem comes this complex portrait of Marilyn Monroe, one of the first that can be credited with changing the public perception of the historical actor and model. Through stories never told before, Steinem reveals the tormented feelings and wit that are often masked behind the images that made Monroe the ultimate sex symbol.
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Norma Jean: The Life of Marilyn Monroe by Fred Lawrence Jewels
Courtesy of Amazon
Norman Mailer cites Fred Lawrence Jewels as “the main source of truth about Marilyn,” a person whose entire life and history is often shrouded in mystery and rumour. But Giles’ definitive biography “Norma Jean” sets the record straight, including interviews with some of the people closest to Monroe throughout her life, such as her husband and famous playwright Arthur Miller. her first husband, James E. Dougherty; Frank Taylor, producer of “The Misfits”; Lee Strasberg Auto Preminger, Billy Wilder, Joshua Logan and John Huston.
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“My Story” by Marilyn Monroe
Courtesy of Amazon
Alongside Ben Hecht, Marilyn Monroe tells her life story for the first time in this autobiography, which contains stories dating back to her childhood impervious to Los Angeles. Also in the book The Revelation, which was not published until more than a decade after her death, she tells of her first (non-consensual) sexual encounter as a young girl, her romance with Yankee Scissors Joe Dimaggio and dozens of passages showing underappreciated intelligence and intelligence. enough in her life. Perhaps the most shocking line in the book is Monroe’s prescient description of herself as “the kind of girl they found dead in the bedroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand.”
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“MM Personal – From the Marilyn Monroe Private Archives” by Lewis Banner
Courtesy of Amazon
Navigating through Lois Banner’s thoughtful organization in “MM – Personal” feels like wading through the cabinets, drawers, and cupboards of the historic actor and model yourself. There is no editorial, no agenda, no exciting stories. Instead, you’ll find a plethora of screenshots, documents, and memorabilia from Monroe’s private archives that come together to paint a picture of her impossibly complex life.
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“Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters” by Marilyn Monroe
Courtesy of Amazon
There is something magical about seeing the remnants of a past life, whether tattered, faded, or almost unperceived after decades of no notice. That’s what Stanley Buchthal clicks on “Fragments,” which include handwritten notebooks, notes, letters, and poems that Marilyn Monroe wrote by herself throughout her life. Of the hundreds of pages written about Monroe since her death, it is the fragmentary notes she left behind (perhaps no one else was supposed to read) that provide the best understanding of her life and feelings.
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Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon by Charles Cassilo
Courtesy of Amazon
Charles Casillos’ groundbreaking 2018 biography of Marilyn Monroe is one of the most defining accounts of the icon’s life, based on years of interviews and research that can’t be found anywhere else. In addition to her abusive childhood, her struggles with bipolar disorder and infamous affairs with both Rob and John F. Kennedy, Casillo also delves into her final days in minute detail, revealing the tragic misunderstandings that contributed to her death.
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Blonde: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates
Courtesy of Amazon
The best-selling “Blonde” is one of the most well-known works of prolific novelist Joyce Carol Oates, which reimagines Marilyn Monroe’s life in a fictionalized account of her rise and rise to stardom through first-person narrative. The 768-page epic tale is a historical homage to the 20th century American superstar and a universal story that uses creative liberties to talk about the tormented feelings that are often at the center of Hollywood’s biggest names. In September, the movie version of the book will be released on Netflix, starring Ana de Armas as Monroe. Watch more books being made into TV shows and movies here.
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Norman Mailer. Marlin Monroe. Bert Stern
Courtesy of Tachen
Burt Stern’s famous “Last Sitting” photos of Marilyn Monroe taken just weeks before her death are combined with Norman Mailer’s controversial 1973 biography in this new picture book from Tachine. Stern, one of the most elite photographers of the 20th century, was known for taking the most intimate portraits of Monroe ever. Marilyn Miller’s biography, while controversial, is emblematic of what Monroe represented in Hollywood and beyond during her reign in the industry. Check out more coffee table books here.
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$100 dollars
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