
Marilyn Monroe
The Private Life of a Public Icon
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Narrated by:
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Thérèse Plummer
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By:
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Charles Casillo
Based on new interviews and research, this ground-breaking biography reveals how Marilyn Monroe's childhood contributed to her struggle with bi-polar disorder, and impacted her career and personal life.
Marilyn Monroe. Her beauty still captivates. Her love life still fascinates. Her story still dominates popular culture. Now, drawing on years of research and dozens of new interviews this biography cuts through decades of lies and secrets and introduces you to the Marilyn Monroe you always wanted to know: a living, breathing, complex woman, bewitching and maddening, brilliant yet flawed.
Charles Casillo studies Monroe’s life through the context of her times - in the days before feminism. Before there was adequate treatment for bipolar disorder. Starting with her abusive childhood, this biography exposes how - in spite of her fractured psyche - Marilyn managed to transform each celebrated love affair and each tragedy into another step in her journey towards immortality. Casillo fully explores the last two years of her life, including her involvement with both John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, and the mystery of her last day.
Just a few of Casillo's revelations:
- Despite reports of their bitter rivalry, Elizabeth Taylor secretly called Marilyn when she was fired from her last film to offer moral and financial support.
- Film of a rumored nude love scene with Clark Gable was said to have been destroyed - but an exclusive interview reveals that it still exists.
- A meticulously detailed account of the events of her last day, revealing how a series of miscommunications and misjudgments contributed to her death.
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Critic reviews
“After all I've seen and heard about Marilyn Monroe, this book is a revelation, an earthy, empathic vision of a real woman who happened to be an ethereal goddess.” (Mary Gaitskill, best-selling author of Bad Behavior and The Mare)
“Casillo explores the myriad facets of Monroe’s personality with a respectful but incisive eye...an intricately nuanced portrait of this misunderstood idol.... A worthy addition to the Monroe canon.” (Booklist)
“A well-written examination of the mystique of a woman who still fascinates decades after her untimely death.” (Publishers Weekly)
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Amazing, inspiring, depressing, and awesome all at once.
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very good
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pretty good, not a lot new
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Very good
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Highly recommended
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Simply the best
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Just ok
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The best Marylin’s bio.
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The audio voice, when slowed down to .8 or .9 was magnetic and completely drew me in. The information contained, while obviously biased, was a genuine learning experience. By the time the final sentence finished, this book left me feeling strong emotions.
Complaints/ Problems:
Other than time skipping around, it was a good read. We, as the audience, already know how Monroe ends but after the tenth reminder, I became more annoyed than impressed with the writer’s ability to turn a phrase.
I also would have enjoyed some more information on her mother and her mother’s friendships and relationships. While I was impressed that this information was even included, I did wish to know some more intimate details.
Specifically: reactions to large life events (such as marriages/ divorces), the interactions following the spoken-of fractures and or moves across country, any more information regarding her father and the conversations, and the initial and now faded reactions of Monroe’s suicide.
Personal info:
I have always known about Monroe. I grew up surrounded by images and quotes, her movies sometimes airing on television, and every Halloween seeing her white-dress costume in stores. I hadn’t ever realized there was anything more to her than a silly girl in a white dress singing Happy birthday Mr President.
Overall:
All of Monroe’s life was truly, very, very sad. She ended up being typecast as the sweet but dumb blonde, when in reality, she was very clever. She understood what people wanted from her and she was able to use it to her advantage. Very giving & extremely lonely, the author was able to convey her need for connection—and ultimately, her inability to form lasting bonds. Simply put, the people around her used her for their own sakes. And that is resonating.
I’m sorry that she wasn’t able to obtain any peace or lasting happiness in her short life.
an american tragedy I barely knew
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This isn't a salacious exposé, but rather a nuanced telling of someone lost in the Hollywood system- horribly victimized.
Heart Wrenching, Intimate, Mind Blown
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