Reviews (5)

THIS is the Marilyn I love
Having recently read the axe-grinding Marilyn Monroe "biography" by Ted Jordan, finding this gem by Gloria Steinem (with beautiful photograhps by George Barris) was such a relief. Whether kind or unkind, most Marilyn biographers are men; it makes sense that a woman (and a feminist) would have a much different understanding of her. Steinem pays much attention to the remaining Norma Jeane personality in the grown Marilyn, a little girl who was abandoned, abused, shuffled between the orphanage and foster homes, and married off at 16. This, Steinem writes, explains much of Marilyn's troublesome behavior: she still had the insecurities of Norma Jeane, but tried to get the love she needed by being the sex symbol Marilyn.

This larger sized paperback is split into chapters, for example: "Norma Jeane," about her childhood and background, and "Work and Money, Sex and Politics" about Marilyn's battles with the Studio, her marriages, and her affairs with powerful men. Each chapter is a complete essay unto itself. And the accompanying photographs, most taken by George Barris the month before her death, show a natural, cavorting, and thoughtful Marilyn at 36 years old.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone curious about the REAL Marilyn Monroe. In truth, she had many realities, but I think that Gloria Steinem captures the most important one.

i loved the pictures of marilyn
i loved this book "marilyn " because of the most beautiful pictures of marilyn, these pictures were the last pictures ever taken of marilyn and they show the real true beautiful person and that is norma jeane and the glamor beautiful star marilyn monroe. these pictures show two people one the shy , beautiful, loveable, true, norma jeane and the funny , glamor, beautiful, free, loving marilyn monroe, but it really shows the true norma jeane in these pictures. this book is for the marilyn fans like me, but i am more than a fan of marilyn's , marilyn is my idol my icon and she is real . i reccomened this book to whoever loves marilyn. this is a collectible. what i did not like about this book is the author gloria she says marilyn had killed herself, which i DO NOT BELIEVE , which i beleive is not true, but i ignored that , but the pictures are amazing.

Marilyn - (Abridged)
This is a beautiful photo expose' of Marilyn just six short weeks of her tragic and untimely death. As the first reader/reviewer has stated, this book was written with references to the stars' sexual abuse and family history, which lead to her emotional problems dating from adolescence. Gloria Steinem wrote this work without any 'bias' to this movie legend. I found her writing to be sensitive and understanding throughout. George Barris' photographs are as beautiful and will forever be timeless images of this very remarkable screen star of the 20th century throughout the next millenium. This book should be considered a "must have" for the Monroe fan and collector.

Insightful & reverent
Gloria Steinem explores Marilyn's life through an empathic and feminist perspective in one of my favorite Monroe biographies. Ms. Steinem respectfully addresses the Marilyn's life within the context of her era and retrospectively. She also addresses the impact of Marilyn's childhood sexual abuse and family history on her functioning. Marilyn would likely be proud of this intelligent, compassionate, historical and cultural treatment. I place this book in league with biographies by Carl Rollyson, Graham McCann and Fred Lawrence Guiles. Of course, the timeless photographic images by George Barris accompanying the brilliant text are refreshing, delightful and touching. Steinem truly strives to understand Marilyn, celebrate her strengths and re-evaluate her for our times. Marilyn seems "to speak" through Steinem's insights and in Barris' photographs.

Last photos of Marilyn
Inside is a jewel of pictures by George Barris who was the last photographer to take the last pictures of Marilyn and they capture her innocence. The climax is definitely the colored pictures of Marilyn. We see the last faze of Marilyn's life in the book but evidently she looked very happy. Obviously, something had to give and it was Marilyn. The book is like a last tribute to Marilyn showing her pictures and describing her childhood and life. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Marilyn Encyclopedia is, according to its jacket notes, "the most comprehensive book about [Marilyn Monroe's] extraordinary life and legacy ever published." This may easily be true--it is incredibly, insanely detailed. Author Adam Victor has taken every conceivable source of Marilyn information--admittedly including Internet rumors and Hollywood gossip among the more well-documented tidbits--distilled them down to alphabetical entries, and cross-referenced them to within an inch of their lives. While the casual fan can check out Marilyn's Look covers or a list of the screenwriters she worked with, hardcore devotees can look up such vital information as the name of the first restaurant she and Joe DiMaggio ate at on their honeymoon (a controversy--was it the restaurant at the Hot Springs Hotel or at the Clifton Inn?) or the name of Marilyn's poodle (Maf Honey). The meticulous cross-referencing makes The Marilyn Encyclopedia an extremely enjoyable browser's read, allowing the reader to hop from Marilyn's disdain for underwear to her working relationship with John Huston to the fact that she never had much trouble with gambling--all with the flip of a page. This encyclopedia of course contains a rich assortment of photos: posed studio portraits, pinups, and candid shots vie for space throughout the tome. Despite his obvious devotion as a fan, Victor is remarkably evenhanded in his choice of the quotes and anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book. The reader cannot help but be left with the impression that, for all her magical appeal, Monroe may well have been a trying person to deal with on a day-to-day basis. This is the perfect book for the dedicated fan who wants to know everything--no, really, everything--about Marilyn Monroe. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Comprehensive, Unweidly, unproofed
This huge, bulky book has categories of of information about things I'd never even think of asking about Marilyn but was glad to read. The photos are gorgeous and many are hard to find elsewhere. I had to deduct a star because, for all the effort that went into this book, it obviously was never proofread and is spattered with typos. I can live with the bulk of the book (which makes it hard to read) because it allows for the big, clear photos, but not with all the mistakes. It pulls the work down a notch.

Comprehensive and current
Collates existing information and mythology into an alphabetical format. Balances accepted facts with rumor and speculation. Includes a wide variety of photos, both posed glamour shots of the "Marilyn" persona and more natural, subdued glimpses of the woman behind the image. Refers to the Christie's auction, the Leaming bio, and several other late '90s happenings. (Negatives: Many typos, misspellings, and pointers to Web sites which are likely to vanish tomorrow.) Recommended overall, though dedicated fans will find few surprises. A great book to flip open to a random page and begin reading.

AMAZING!
As a rather new Marilyn fan/collector, this book is invaluable to me as a resource. It is a huge book, alphabetized and cross-referenced, covering everything from movies, music, books, and biographies to gowns, hotels, cars, cities, and family. There are also, of course, hundreds of gorgeous pictures! What I'm enjoying the most is that as I read other Marilyn books, I can fact-check and look up obscurely mentioned items to learn more, or gain perspective. An objective, fact-filled, exhaustive collection of Marilyn trivia.

Updated Marilyn reference work recommended for MM students
The basis I'm using as comparison is with an earlier book, The Unabridged Marilyn-Her Life From A to Z. The Marilyn Encyclopedia's assets is that there is more information, there are splendid colour photographs not present in the earlier book. In fact, it boasts 170 full-clour photos and 205 b&w ones. Some of the colour ones take two pages. As for the entries, they compare favourably with the other book. And each letter, A,B,C,D... et cetera is heralded by a colour photo.

One key difference is that the entry for each movie lists the cast and credits, as well as any Academy Award nominations and wins. She herself wasn't nominated for any. It is also more up to date, 1999 compared to 1987. Much has happened re people. Inbetween those 12 years, Bette Davis, Dean Martin, Joe DiMaggio, and Frank Sinatra among others have died, and this book updates those facts. Yes, the domestic postage stamp that was released in 1995 is included. However, I was surprised Marilyn Manson wasn't included, as his stage name is an amalgam of Marilyn [Monroe], [Charles] Manson.

Yet the one factor that differentiates the two books is this entry: "Internet." As the first paragraph states, "The world's most popular woman has spawned thousands of tribute sites on the World Wide Web. Type in the world "Marilyn Monroe" on any of the major search engines and you get back a bewildering number of matches." And I was also amazed to see how many actresses have portrayed Marilyn-based characters or how many fictional novels have been written on her, so "most popular woman" does have some merit to it.

The Marilyn Encyclopedia easily supplants its earlier predecessor.

THE SILVER SCREEN'S SEXY SIREN FROM A TO Z
Everything you always wanted to know about the silver screen's sexiest star --- from A to Z --- in one expensive, heavy book that belongs (only) on the shelves of die-hard devotees.
Topics include 'babysitting,' 'hair,' 'Arthur Miller' and more quotes about and by Marilyn than you can shake a Demerol at. One of our faves is this bon mot featuring Marilyn on (what else?) sex: 'No sex is wrong if there's love in it. But too often people act like it's gymnasium work, mechanical.' Proof that Marilyn supported the Olympics? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The most complete reference on Marilyn Monroe
As a Marilyn fan I found this to be one of the most extensively researched books on her life and the circumstances surrounding her death. Published in 1987, long before "The Marilyn Encyclopedia" by Adam Victor. The Unabridged Marilyn by Randall Riese and Neal Hitchens is a must have for any fan of monroe. This book lists everything her complete autopsy report to the actresses that have portrayed monroe, or monroe based characters on the stage and screen. This book also contains comprehensive lists and reviews of practically all the books on monroe that had been written up to point when this book was published. It is obvious that the authors of this book have a great respect for monroe and have definitely done her justice in the careful and comprehensive research of this excellent reference book on one of the most intriguing, intelligent and beautiful women who ever lived. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Beautiful Marilyn Book!
I am a huge Marilyn Monroe fan.I own tons of her books and I think this one has the most beautiful photos in it.Sam Shaw has taken many lovely pictures of Marilyn, and this book shows a lot of them.This book also has a wonderful text.I would defenitly recomend this book to every Marilyn fan.

GREAT BOOK!
Unusual book, lot's of photographs, some candieds, some from Marilyn's movie sets. Pictures are all black and white. It has many images you will not see anywhere else. Also a beautiful text by Norman Rosten, Marilyn'spoet friend. Get this book!Lot's of pictures during her Arthur Millerphase. ' ... Read more

Reviews (6)

My Review
I thought this is book was pretty good but I find some things in the book hard to belive. This is the first book I have read about Marilyn Monroe so I can't compare to any other book. But just like in the t.v. movie "Norma Jean and Marilyn", I don't think everything that they say is true.

Overblown account of marilyn..
This is certainly an interesting Book...painting marilyn as a neurotic,spoiled,champagne swilling slob...and also as a sweet, misunderstood and lonely woman.
At it's worst this book recounts marilyn's Life (standard stuff) and claims that marilyn gave birth to a baby boy....at it's best it gives a clear picture of marilyn's marriage to Arthur Miller, her apparent lack of real friendships and a look at the reality of marilyn's day to day Life.
There are also revealing glimpses of marilyn's thoughts about her career and herself.
This would make a hell of a movie!!

Hard to take seriously
This is an interesting book indeed. Unfortunately I find most of what's written very hard to believe. The way Pepitone describes Monroe goes against almost everything else that has ever been written about her. The book paints her as a lazy, dumb, immature and half crazy child. I kept an open mind while reading it but when the author claimed that Monroe had a child in her early teens I took the rest of the book with a grain of salt. If you don't really care about how accurate the content is then go ahead and read it to get a good chuckle if nothing else. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.

Wish I could get my hands on this book again!
I was pretty young when I read this book but it left an impact on me. One that I wish I could come to terms with once I read this book again. I lent it to someone and never got it back. Once I saw that it was out of print, it didn't surprise me at all. It was a pretty outrageous look at the world's most beloved bombshell by none other than the person who took the most care of her. That is what I found to be the most provocative of all. That her own friend would write such personal stories. I found it to be insightful, if true.

A memoir of Marilyn from a maid's POV
When first released, "Marilyn Monroe Confidential" was widely and, IMO, unfairly criticized for passing mentions of MM's habits. However, taken as a whole, the book is warm and sympathetic and it is evident Lena Pepitone thinks of MM as a good person. Still, it is a maid's eye view and as the old saying goes, "No man is a hero to his valet." If Pepitone is telling the truth, MM frequently went without showers, baths, and -- in private -- clothes and lacked the usual embarressment connected with burping and breaking wind. Seen in context, these are minor personal flaws in a woman who was good-hearted, generous, and kind. ... Read more

Book Description

The sensitive and touching story of the four-year marriage ofJim Dougherty and Norma Jeane Baker before her Hollywoodtransformation toMarilyn Monroe. This is a very unusual bookabout Norma Jeane, because it isn't just another book about Marilyn Monroe. It's a completely different, and very sensitive,view of a young girl married at 16 who is very much in love withher husband, Jim Dougherty. This book will give you a differentperspective on Hollywood stardom. Dozens of photographs.5«X 8«, 220 pp.. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Intimate , personal, story of Marilyns early years
I'm a huge Marilyn collector/fan and have read many books about her life. This is one of the best books from someone who really knew her, along with the book "My Sister Marilyn". This is her first husbands story. It is touching and sad as well as being a tribute to a beautiful person that Marilyn/Norman Jean was. I read things in this book I've never heard before about Marilyns early years and It was easy to read and very enjoyable, It's a must for any fan.I'm so greatful to "Jim" for sharing his story!

To Norma Jeane With Love, Jimmie ~Review~
This fabulous book, written by Marilyn Monroe's first husband, Jim Dougherty, is touching! It is sad and funny at the same time! Jim Dougherty has only the best things to say about Marilyn (then Norma Jeane).

This book is very detailed, and lets you get to know and understand the life of Norma Jeane better, so that you become very fascinated with her!

I've never read a better book written about either MM or NJ! If you don't have this, book, I highly recommend that you buy it!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Hollywood icon, sex goddess, glamour queen, complex, scared and vulnerable young woman, Marilyn Monroe offered a variety of faces to the world before she died. To imagine how Marilyn might have matured into wise, graceful and gorgeous old age, author and playwright Maggy Anthony wrote Impossibly Blonde: Marilyn at 77.

"Just as her life had cast its spell over my life, her death and the subsequent surrealism of her funeral, which I attended, and the aftermath of conspiracy theories, hints of murder and intrigue in high places, cast its shadow.

"I am attempting to show how even an event of the utmost tragedy can give birth to a creative project and perhaps offer some understanding of this complex woman who has become a symbol of the Eternal Feminine, and who was also very much a woman of her time.

"My play is my prose poem to her, of love, appreciation and regret."
--Maggy Anthony, playwright and author

Reviews (5)

This one is worth the money & I am serious about photos
Hardcover: 245 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 13.00 x 1.10 x 9.40
ISBN: 08212176581989 first edition Soft cover are the same dimensions.

Contents:
Forward by Jane Russell2 pages
About the photographers 5 pages
Marilyn interview with Georges Belmont 10 pages
Plates (huge photos) 214 pages of just photos
Biography pages 237-242
2 pages of filmography
bibiliography
photo credits
This is a great book, a few pictures are grainy, but 95% are sharp rich and gorgeously clear.
I was shocked that I had not seen some of the images. I collect her images, and have a lot of them on my computer that most people haven't seen. So this is a stellar collection indeed and a must for Marilyn fans. I have the "Marilyn A life in Pictures" and still this book had even more. I do recommend both books highly.

All the necessities
This book features pictures from Marilyn's life ranging from her modeling days as Norma Jeane up until her death.You get many of the "classic" Monroe photos here, including the gold dress, the white dress scene from the Seven Year Itch, and several movie stills.Several candid shots are also included as well as some lesser seen ones from photograph sessions.Jane Russell paints an endearing picture of Monroe in the forward.We also get an interview with Monroe.It is a widely known fact that Marilyn embellished parts of her childhood and she does so here, claiming her mother is dead, when Marilyn's mom actually outlived her for more than 30 years.Nevertheless, Monroe appears beautiful, vulnerable, ans sensuous all rolled into one in these images.You get a lot of pics for a reasonable price.

great collection of photos
I love this book because it is pure marilyn. The book shows her at her best. There are no conspiracies, scandals or judgements made about her in this book. It is just about the love that she had for the camera. She understood the camera better that anyone I can think of and it is her element, like a fish in water. Many authors write books on her to try to explain who she was,(99% of them never even knew her.) but all you have to do to really know her is study her pictures. They truly reveal every aspect of her, and that's why this book was made.

Good place to start for Marilyn photos.
One of the first Marilyn books I got was a compilation of photographs from well-known photographers.It wasn't till later that I got the original primary sources, i.e. books by Eve Arnold, and collections by Bernard Bruno and Bert Stern.So once one gets this collection, one can decide which photographer captured Marilyn's beauty the best, be it Milton Greene, Bernard Bruno, Richard Avedon, Ed Feingersh, or my personal favourite, Andre de Dienes.The photos, both colour and B&W, accompanied by captions, take the reader on a chronological journey from 1945 to her death in 1962.

Well-known photographs include the Tom Kelley photo that led to the notorious nude calendar, her potato sack dress, the photo Andy Warhol used, her wearing the golden dress, and the Life magazine photo.The final picture is not of her but her obituary flashing across Times Square.

Other material include a 1960 interview done with Georges Belmont for the French magazine Marie Claire.She talks mostly about her early life as a child before going into her adult life.Jane Russell, who was her costar in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, does a brief but generous foreword on her recollections.

Other photos include scenes from movies, press conferences,and other occasions.There's an annotated biography and filmography in the rear of the book.Each film entry has the distributing company, year, starring cast, and the name of Marilyn's character.As for the bibliography, I was surprised to see I had nine of the books used.

This serves as a cross-section of photos taken by various photographers as well as a photographic history.Good for beginning MM students, as it was for me back then.

wonderful pictures
This is a wonderful book to add to your collection, although filled w/ a majority of pictures that you may have already seen (a few you may have not seen),it is a wonderful collection and great to see them all together! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This book is completely false!!!!!!
After reading Donald Spoto's biography on Marilyn Monroe, I found out that everything in this book is completely false. Slatzer only met Monroe once, during the filming of Niagra, asked to have his picture taken with her, and that was the end of it. His claims that they were married, among other things, only surfaced after her death, in fact more than a decade later. All personal records of Marilyn do not show anything about her having any other contact with the author. Slatzer has made a fortune off of this book that has all false information in it. I do not recommend supporting him by buying it.

interesting...
When I finished this book, I truly believed that Marilyn Monroe was murdered (I pretty much believed that anyway). However, I didn't believe some of Slatzer's other claims, such as: he was Marilyn's best friend and confidant all through her career; that they were secretly married in Mexico and only annulled it because of Zanuck's insistence; and that he had privileged information regarding the infamous "red diary." (Interestingly, a book by another supposed career-long friend/lover, Ted Jordan, directly contradicts some of Bob's statements, and Ted also claims to have been her secret special boyfriend during the same time and to have knowledge of the diary in a similar way.) I am grateful for the amount of research Bob put into the mystery of her death, because he does make it hard to believe that she committed suicide. But by bragging non-stop about his intense relationship with Marilyn, he makes his other, more important assertions harder to believe. An important book for fans, but take with a grain of salt!

A Must Have for Marilyn Fans
I cannot say enough about this book. Starting his investigation the day after her death, Robert Slatzer is a wonderful friend of Marilyn's. Very indepth. A perfect companion to this book is The Marilyn Files also by Robert Slatzer.

THE DEFINITIVE BOOK ABOUT THE LIFE & DEATH OF MONROE
I wish this book would be reprinted. At the time it was first published it caused a lot of controversy. It has stood the test of time. Many people were "leery" of the assertions that Marilyn Monroe had been murdered,but since this author's long and trying efforts to show the real facts of what happened to Marilyn, many of the real facts he presented to the public in 1974 have been made public. Many people did not want or know whether to believe Slatzer's accounts of Monroe's keeping a diary, and recording her accounts of "what Bobby Kennedy told her". Recently released and published FBI & CIA documents "PROVE" that Slatzer was INDEED RIGHT ABOUT MARILYN & THE KENNEDY BROTHERS. A recently de-classified CIA DOCUMENT BOLDLY STATES THAT IN 1962, "THE CIA WAS AWARE THAT MARILYN MONROE KEPT A SO-CALLED DIARY THAT RECORDED CONVERSATIONS SHE HAD WITH THE THEN ATTORNEY GENERAL, ROBERT F. KENNEDY. THE CONTENTS OF HER DIARY DISCUSSED AMOUNG OTHER THINGS; THE PLOT TO KILL CASTRO; THE FACT THE CIA/GOVERNMENT HAD MAFIA HOODLUMS ON THE PAYROLL;etc. At least this author personally knew his subject and has made countless efforts to clear the smeared reputation the executives at 20th Century Fox Film Corp., gave her, as well as the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, and The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office placed on her. The Studio at the time of her death, did not make an effort to state they had in fact re-hired MM for "Something's Got To Give", along with the fact they had given her a raise in salary. The Coroner,The D.A.'s Office,and certain higher ups in the LAPD have kept closed mouthed about the truth of her murder and continue this ridiculous behavior today. Even former Deputy District Attorney, John Miner, who witnessed her autopsy,now admits, as Slatzer had written in 1974, that Monroe did not in fact, commit suicide, and DID in fact, have relations with the Both John & Bobby Kennedy and made recordings at the suggestions of her psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson, of said relations. This author is probably the most well informed and possibly the last remaining close confident that Marilyn Monroe had. If there are any more Biographies written on Marilyn Monroe, I hope that Mr. Robert Slatzer is the author.That way, we can set the record straight once again, and hopefully forget about the mis-information that people have been writing for the last 16 or more years.

Compelling, Convincing
I read this book years ago and used to quote whole passages from it. The argument that Marilyn was murdered is very strong, and this book came out at a time when the murder/cover-up conspiracy argument was still considered alittle far-fetched.

More information has come out since this book was published, such as her housekeeper admitting that Robert Kennedy HAD been to Marilyn's house the last day of her life. When Slatzer's book came out, the housekeeper was still denying it. But Slatzer had an eye witness account from a neighbor of Marilyn's who had seen Kennedy there that day.

Time has only proven that Robert Slatzer was on the right path, as far as there being a cover-up. As for Marilyn being murdered, you be the judge. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Questionable... Read with a grain of salt.
Ted Jordan may have been, as he claims, the most important man in Marilyn's life.However, he offers very little supporting evidence of this.He tells many interesting stories about Marilyn, and what it was like to make love to her.However, when it comes to illustrating the woman herself, he is somewhat less than generous.According to him, she had absolutely no talent.This is something that anyone who has ever seen Bus Stop or The Misfits knows to be false.Perhaps she did sleep her way to the top, as so many of her generation did.I cannot deny or affirm this.All I know is, for someone who claims to have been Marilyn's best friend, Jordan has not been particularly generous.On the back of the book, he promises a catalogue of Marilyn's strengths and weaknesses.I see plenty of praise, but only in the form of Marilyn's body and sexual prowess.This is not exactly new information.He also attests that Marilyn despised hard work and refused to go to any classes, which is completely against fact.He completely ignores one of the saddest parts of Marilyn's existence; her desire to be a real actress, and her fear that the world was laughing at ehr for her sexuality.She stopped doing films for a period to attend public acting classes, which Jordan makes absolutely no mention of.Jordan seems more concerned with expressing how, if Marilyn had only listened to him in every respect, all would have been better.The book is an expanded outlet for gossip and self-exaltation.What truth may be in it seems slanted.Read with caution, if you must read.

Truth and Love
I was deeply moved by this book and would like to thank the author somehow for 'putting it all out there'. Behind every great man is a great woman. Thanks Ted!

Norma Jean: MySecret Life With Marilyn Monroe
I have read this book when it first came out. As I know Ted Jordan (Eddie Friedman) He was a great guy, his father was the brother of Ted Lewis.Knowing he was acting in Hollywood during the period of time in the book, I do not doubt the verasity of the book. I think it is well written, and my wife and I both enjoyed it. We feel that the wild "goings on" back in those Hollywood days are well documented in Ted's book.

an unkind portrayal
This particular biography of Marilyn Monroe sometimes seems plausible in dialogue and description, but a few of the events seem exaggerated and contrived.Ted Jordan is another person who claims to have been Marilyn's lover, secret boyfriend, and confidant throughout her entire career.I can't help comparing it to Robert Slatzer's_The Mysterious Death of Marilyn Monroe_ because he claims EXACTLY the same things in his book, portraying himself as the most important person in her life with even less corroboration than Ted provides.In fact, the two books often directly contradict each other.For example, Bob claims that Marilyn had no interest in finding her father because she knew him to be her mother's former husband Ed Mortenson, who died in a motorcycle accident; Ted writes that Marilyn (or Norma Jean, as he calls her all the way through-- without the "e") knew the identity of her father to be her mother's co-worker, C. Stanley Gifford. Both men say they knew her so well... is one or both of them lying?(I think it is more likely to be Bob Slatzer who is lying, as his book reads as one long fantasy that he created in his head. ) And if about that, what else?_My Secret Life_ makes a lot of outrageous claims, including Marilyn having a lesbian affair with his stripper wife, Marilyn aborting their baby, and Marilyn calling him on the night of her death.The uncomfortable thing to me is how Jordan portrays her as a horribly ambitious, mentally ill prostitute, repeating several times that she had no talent and used everyone to get what she wanted.Maybe some of that is true, but in a book such as this one (as well as _The Mysterious Death of_), the reader never knows WHAT to believe.

Phony baloney
I don't believe a word of this book. Ted Jordan "claims" to be close to MM but he offers no supporting evidence. He even claims to own MM's diary, but he offers no proof. Unfortunately, when a star such as Marilyn dies, many unknowns get on the bandwagon to make a quick buck. Don't waste your money or time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Incomplete Last (kind of) Sitting
The difference between Stern's Last Sitting and Complete Last Sitting is the inclusion (in the latter volume) of recently restored proofs, the majority of the session, that Monroe herself had rejected- destroyed with pin and permanent marker, with "x"s to her face.

The Barris book (truly the last photo session)is a skinny volume, mainly composed of similar shots of Marilyn at the beach in her mexican sweater. It's also inferior to Stern's due to the dubiously "remembered" confessions that fill almost every page, information that turns out to be common knowlege.

If it's' a massive, intimate super-fan's only photography book, spend the extra $ on the Complete Last Sitting... and enjoy!

A mixed bag
I have owned this book for many years and don't really know the difference between this book and Bert Stern's other listed book, "The Complete Last Sitting." When I bought this book, I considered this one of the best on MM, but now it seems a bit ghoulish because Stern published pictures that MM had rejected. She had even used a pin to destroy the negatives, but Stern published them anyway. In hindsight, this is disrespectful to MM. He even publishes a photo of MM dropping her scarf, looking nude and very vulnerable. He also calls this sitting MM's last sitting. However, she posed for George Barris a couple of weeks after Stern's sitting, making Stern's allegation untrue. More importantly, Stern really doesn't get to know her at all so his "insights" are superficial. However, if you love MM (as I do) and can ignore these defiencies, you will enjoy this book. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Finally the truth about Marilyn Monroe's family
This is a very enjoyable book. I'm so glad Berniece Miracle finally came out with the book with help from daughter Mona. The photos are wonderful, as you watch the transition from Norma Jeane to Marilyn, get to see her wedding photo to Jim Dougherty and hear words of Joe DiMaggio and learn some of the insides of Hollywood as Marilyn shared them with her sister.

Sadly, the book also describes how Berniece was hounded by the press and had a hard time leading a "normal" life. No privacy. I was hoping the book would give more insight into Marilyn's death, but Berniece and Mona are as much in the dark as anyone. Interesting is the denial of any relationship with President John F. Kennedy or brother Bobby. That seems to be a given in most books about Marilyn. However, if you read between the lines here, Marilyn doesn't deny a relationship, she just smiles when Berniece asks and says "they're just boys." There could be a lot Marilyn doesn't share with her sister!

But what comes shining through in this book is how loving and lovable Marilyn was, and how much she was loved by her sister. The idea of a mentally ill mother explains a lot of things, like Marilyn's obvious depression. The sisters not even knowing about each other until Marilyn was 12 and Berniece 19 is sad, but at least they had each other through the rest of Marilyn's life.

This is a lovely book, beautifully written, tragic as it must have been. It shows Marilyn as more of the earthy woman her family knew, which is a refreshing perspective from other Marilyn Monroe biographies!

Not at My sister Marilyn's house today,I have a modem again
Ok I admit it Im weird...now onto the review...

So many biographies have been written about MARILYN but if you are interested in reading one by a person who knew and loved her,I'd suggest this one.Written by marilyn's half-sister and neice(Berniece and Mona Rae),this doco-with never-seen-before photos of Norma Jeane,reveals a nice young girl who loved children and dogs.Anyone who likes dogs is ok with me.It also appears that the belief that Marilyn was promiscuous may be debatable.Although,Berniece did seem determined to keep her beloved sister on a pedastal,even going so far as to say that MArilyn was always pleasant on set whereas we know that isn't true.
Berniece revealed also that Marilyn was never in an orphanage(except as a baby)and was never in foster care.She lived with a few different families,all of whom were related to her or knew her mother.Her life WAS sad and disturbing,but she wasn't shuttled around even close to as much as has been believed.According to Berniece,and I don't see the reason why Berniece would lie in this instance.However it is true that her mother was severely ill with schizophrenia and that Marilyn was fatherless.The book is written a little like a novel,Berniece and Mona Rae exercising just one of the talents that abound in the bloodline they share with Marilyn.I wish Marilyn had written even one book of her own,a novel,an autobiography,it wouldn't matter.But I know she could write and it would be cool if there was something.Overall it is a very interesting book and the photos reveal that,at least in my opinion,Marilyn was more stunning with dark hair than with blonde.It also tells us about a sweet girl with a good heart.

Well written and insightful
I recommend this book to anyone vaguely interested in Marilyn Monroe, not merely the die-hard fan. I do not fall into that category, , but am aware of her enduring presence as an icon. This book lived up to its intriguing promise of providing ANOTHER viewpoint about Marilyn – other than the myriad biographies which have been about Marilyn by ‘outsiders’ and those enriching themselves on the proceeds.

This is very much the biography of Norma Jean Baker as she came to be known by her sister.

The picture of ‘private Marilyn’ depicted here does an enormous amount to restore Marilyn’s humanity, her connection with her family and peers, the person behind the impenetrable Goddess Icon that she has become in the decades since her death. This is the uncommodified, unexploited Marilyn, a person who loved and was loved. It’s a great corrective to the hagiographic or shallow tendencies of most Marilyn-abilia and I thoroughly recommend it.

Short On Scandal, Long On Genetic Sensitivity
Please buy this book instead of one written by someone who didn't know Marilyn...

Berneice Miracle was Marilyn's half-sister. They shared the same mother, a fitfully employed lab worker at a Hollywood studio during the silent film era. When Marilyn aka Norma Jeane was seven and didn't know Berneice existed, their mother bought a house in Los Angeles, a daring move for a divorced woman at the height of the Great Depression. But Mom became mentally ill a few months later and spent the next fifty years as a revolving door mental patient and old-folks-home resident.

Berneice's father seems to have been a stable man who abandoned the liberal lifestyle of California for the Kentucky of 1926, a different planet. Whoever Marilyn's father was never claimed her as his daughter unless you count a phone call that C. Stanley Gifford supposedly made to her out-of-the-blue a year before she died. Even if Gifford was a dishonest stalker, we still know Marilyn's real father kept quiet, likely out of guilt and sensitivity.

That point brings me to Berneice. While she adds little to her half-sister's previously documented fights with Twentieth Century Fox, Arthur Miller and Patricia Newcomb, she nonetheless shares her sisterly information with sensitivity. Possibly without meaning to, Berneice demonstrates that Marilyn's amazing sensitivity, a requirement for all the artists who share her degree of fame (Billie Holiday, Georgia O'Keeffe, Elvis, Andy Kaufman, etc), ran in the family. The reader experiences Berneice's thin skin in every sentence. The reader witnesses mother Gladys' fragility overpower her, shattering her dream of becoming the new Norma Talmadge (the silent film star after whom Gladys named Norma Jeane). The silence of Marilyn's father echoes with meaning throughout this and other books.

I will close by segueing to the money issue. If you assume Berneice inherited big bucks and she hates everyone who profited from her half-sister's death, then remember the old saying about what you do when you [assume]. The abundant love in Marilyn came through when she made major provisions for Berneice in her will, but the suddenness of her death and the huge debts of her Estate blocked Berneice from getting a penny for fifteen years.

During that time Norman Mailer famously made money from a sloppy investigation into the Kennedy brothers sleeping with and killing Marilyn mixed with a pseudointellectual portrait of his beloved stranger as "the Stradivarius of sex." Mailer's attitude didn't exactly thrill Berneice, but she still wanted very much to know how her sister had died. She had no money to hire a private investigator. To this day Berneice harbors suspicions of foul play. If she, with her genetic sensitivity in the same league as Marilyn's, entertains these thoughts, then a lot more people should. Not just nerdy JFK researchers.

Please buy this book. Berneice, born in 1919 and alive as of this writing, deserves a little money and empathy. As Arthur Miller wrote in "Death Of A Salesman," "attention must be paid to such a [person]." If Berneice's grandchildren are out there reading this, please give her my love. If things sometimes stretch her or you to the breaking point, please remember the love.

different
the book was okay but I don't think Marilyn and Berniece were that close so there wasn't a lot of information through Marilyn's point of view but it a lot better than some stranger that Marilyn didn't even explioting her.There are some personal information that only Berniece would know so that's what makes it unquic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An incredibly compelling fictional biography of one of America's most familiar icons, Marilyn Monroe. Kathryn Hyatt, in telling this story in the comics medium, creates an atmosphere not possible in a prose biography. Here Marilyn speaks for herself--to her psychoanalyst, to a reporter--and ultimately to the reader of this book. Beginning where her unstable mother leaves off, Marilyn begins to dream of fame in early childhood. The reader follows Monroe's rise to stardom, progressing through the lower depths of Hollywood into the hard realities of stardom. Seen through the prism of Marilyn's inner world, her achievements and failures take on a new complexity and poignancy. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Just when you thought you knew everything...
You know how someone says of a book "I couldn't put it down"? Sometimes it's hyperbole, and sometimes they're talking about this book. After all the tell-all books and the innumerable tv movies and mini-series, this simple comic book manages to capture something new of Marilyn/Norma Jean Baker. Her soul. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Marilyn would be turning in her grave if she read this book!
Yet another book by authorswho are utterly unfamiliar with theirsubject. With all the great books on Monroe out there, why, oh why doauthors with absolutely no intimate knowledge of Marilyn keep turning outthis drivel? I recommend that you don't waste your time or money on THISone!The pictures are rehashed oldies that we've all seen a million timesbefore, and so are the stories. Poor Marilyn, will they ever let you restin peace and stop inventing new insanities about you? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A POIGNANT STORY OF A TRAGIC ACTRESS
I originally read this book when I was 12 years old. I loved it then and I definitely love it now. The book is a very tender and poignant book about Marilyn Monroe. I was pleasantly surprised because so many books make her out to be so sleazy. The book is easy and fast to read. I liked that he included little poems that she wrote. The book shows a woman who was much more than that sex symbol. It shows her as a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul. The author tells one story about how Marilyn was so gentle with his daughter. The book is definitely written by someone who really cared about her. If you are a fan of Marilyn Monroe, you will definitely love this book. Forget about all of those other bios read this one first. Some Marilyn bios I would definitely not reccommend are by Lena Pepitone, Norman Mailer, Donald Spoto, and Gloria Steinem UGH!! Norman Rosten's loving tribute to Marilyn Monroe is the best! I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad that I rediscovered it.

Through the Eyes of a Friend
"Help I feel life coming closer, when all I want to do is to die," is part of a poem written by Marilyn Monroe that begins this book, written by a close friend. Never could a statement be more true of Monroe, for people who knew her say she wasn't happy with her stardom and wanted just a simple life. She wanted a happy marriage and a baby. She took numerous medications and overdosed a couple of times unsuccessfully in her life -- but most people who knew her say these were accidents, and that she knew her medications well enough not to take too many.

It appears to readers of books on her life that although she was a fairly suicidal person, she really didn't want to die. She just wanted to live a different life than she lived.

This book is a very fast read and a very interesting perspective. The author definitely believes Marilyn meant to kill herself, despite all the hype and investigations into her death.

Marilyn, with her depressions and moodiness, was probably very difficult to understand for someone who hasn't been there. On the outside looking in, it DOES appear that her death was by her own hand. But other accounts show Marilyn to be at the best health and close to being very happy when she died.

Anyone interested in Marilyn should read this book. ... Read more