Marilyn: Norma Jeane
By Gloria SteinemI don't generally read bios simply because I find them tough reads. Even if they're about the most interesting people in the world -- well, yawn. Still, when this book about Marilyn Monroe popped up and I saw it was written by Gloria Steinem, well, maybe not so yawn.
While I do think that people who just flat out hate Gloria Steinem will find reasons to dislike this book, most will actually find it a complete and fair account of the actress's too short life. The good, the bad, the ugly - it's all here. From the childhood full of neglect and hurt feelings to the failed marriages to the disappointments in her career. Steinem does not go out of her way to villainize anyone in Marilyn's life nor does she attempt to glamorize any aspect of what the actress lived through. She shows us that yes, Marilyn was made famous simply for being a beautiful woman but she was constantly working to break out of that role.
If there is anyone that Steinem was especially tough on in this book, it would be someone who never met Marilyn: Norman Mailer, someone who had also written about the actress.
Steinem does her best to let us know what in the book is absolute fact (we can be certain for example when Marilyn's mother was in the hospital or when Marilyn was married), what is speculation, what is her (Steinem's) analysis, what other's have claimed to have seen themselves or what they are claiming Marilyn told them. We can decide for ourselves what is credible or not, very often Steinem does nothing either way to question the credibility of anyone save for when she is questioning the material from Mailer's book (Marilyn: A Biography).
The book ends with several pictures of Marilyn, most of which will have been seen by now, but which are still lovely.
Having never read another book on MM, and just knowing the basics, I do feel like this is so complete, I do not need to read another.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like so as not to waste my time.
