Many people who know me in my personal life know that I am a very big Marilyn Monroe fan. I don't like to go around talking about it usually, because there is such a stigma about people who call themselves Marilyn fans, but have never seen a movie of hers. That aside, being a fan of Marilyn, my boyfriend got me this recent biography on her. The author is J. Randy Taraborrelli, whose biography about Elizabeth Taylor I had previously read. Now, alot of biographies have been written about her, and I have read alot of them. But this one is definitely different.
This biography has it's sources not only listed in the back, but talked about in depth. Alot of the research he has done is a first hand account from people who knew Marilyn, and he has listed the dates in which he spoke to them. This book goes into such detail about her early life, and he makes it so interesting. The material really comes alive, it doesn't feel like a biography at all, it feels like you are talking to a friend who is giving you a first hand account of the story.
He details the history of her family, her mother, and the families she grew up with. He went as far as to get interviews with foster children she lived with, people who worked at the mental institute her mother stayed at, the son of man believed to have fathered Marilyn and many others. It is completely and utterly fascinating.
Those are two photos published in the book. The book has quite a bit of pictures, alot of them are previously unpublished and given to the author by people he interviewed.
If you are a Marilyn fan and you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. So many rumors about Marilyn, and untruths that have been passed down over the years are put to rest with this book. He researched for many years, and put out a respectful book about the woman so many people are fascinated with.
Has anyone else read this? Opinions?