I’ve studied Marilyn‘s life and read a few biographies on her life. If I knew someone who didn’t want to read a whole 500 page biography, this is a perfect alternative. The author gives us pictures that coincide with the stories and facts, which is helpful. The raw honesty into the good and the bad of Marilyn are supported by quotes of those who knew her. My favorite story was about Ella Fitzgerald (page 126). It was touching and humanized the iconic legend.

When you get the book, perhaps you'll be as struck as I was by the contrast between the smiling baby photo early on and the one chosen to end the book of a sexy but vulnerable looking Marilyn. That ability to be both was a secret I'm not sure even she knew how was done but it made men both lust after and want to protect her. The joy of the smiling baby seemed long gone.

I won't detail her story. The book blurb does an excellent job. Not only have there been many versions of it written, some originating from her, others the studios, others....who knows? I'll just say, it's all there and the photos do capture many of those mentioned in her life as well as some of the now legendary photos. I liked that the author presented the material in a largely straight-forward manner without getting lost in the controversy and conspiracy theories that so often take over stories about Monroe. In other words, while not ignoring the factual happenings, they weren't wallowed in, either. I did know that Monroe spent time in an orphanage, I'll note, but the author managed to convey the sense of being abandoned that this left in Monroe's soul, a feeling of not being loved or wanted that touched so many elements throughout her life.

So, overall, while a sad read, it's a satisfying read. The photos were obviously chosen with great care and fit the topic at hand well. Chapter titles give you a hint of what to expect in each section, such as "Bases Loaded", "We're All Afraid", and "Incomplete". I found that last one particularly saddening, gotta admit, as it so succinctly described her life. There's also a filmography and image credit section as well as one sharing info on the author. I tended to dawdle along, flipping back and forth between text and photos, frequently backtracking for another look at someone mentioned, but overall found it an easy, fairly quick read. Read at your own pace, it's worth it. Thank you #NetGalley and #QuartoPublishingGroup - #ChartwellBooks for allowing me this early peek.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance readers copy of this book

I’m a big Marilyn Monroe fan - she stars in two of my favourite movies - Gentlemen Prefer z blondes and How To Marry millionaire

At approximately 200 pages, this book covers MM’s life from childhood to her early death, and includes some gorgeous photos

Marilyn Monroe is my favourite person of all time. This a great read with stunning photos. Perfect for any and all Marilyn fans

A great primer on Marilyn Monroe featuring tons of photos that I've never seen before. Should be a treat for fans of old Hollywood

This is great! I think Marilyn is known for her outfits and I think the pictures do a great job at helping us visualize her life and learn more about her. There was lots of super interesting information about her life, and the storytelling and writing just made it so much better. A huge part of American society back then and now is our obsession with celebrities, and I think books like this one add to that culture and help us learn more about the little mysteries of Monroe’s life and almost feel like an insider. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for this ARC,

I love reading about Marilyn Monroe, this was a fab book with lots of pictures but also lots of information about her from her early childhood up until the end of her life.
I believe the experience of reading this book would greatly improve with a physical copy but I still enjoyed it. I've read a few Marilyn Monroe books and watched some films, documentary's and i still managed to learn something new from this book and see some pictures i have never seen before!
I would highly recommend if your a Marilyn Monroe fan!

#MarilynMonroe #NetGalley

❥ 4 stars ☆

MARILYN MONROE
1926 — 1962

This is a photography book and memoir in one. The book has full-page photo pages, and pages with both photos and text. It includes rare photos that you probably haven’t seen before and removable memorabilia.

If you enjoy photography books and if you’re a fan of Marilyn Monroe, you should definitely get a physical copy of the book so you can see all the photos in the best way, and you will also receive the removable memorabilia. Since I read the ebook I didn’t see or receive the memorabilia.

❝Ben Lyon suggested that Norma Jeane change her name to Marilyn because he liked the actress Marilyn Miller. Norma Jeane chose the last name Monroe because it was her mother’s maiden name. The origin of one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood history is that simple, despite the number of fakers who later claimed to have given her the name.❞

❝I’ve never liked the name Marilyn,❞ she later said. ❝I’ve often wished that I had held out that day for Jean Monroe. But I guess it’s too late to do anything about it now.❞

It’s sad that Marilyn didn’t stick up for herself enough to change her name to something that she actually likes when it’s her name, like Jean Monroe instead of Marilyn if she didn’t even like that name.

I didn’t know that Marilyn had endometriosis, she received many treatments and even surgeries. Today it’s still hard for women to first receive the diagnosis itself, and there obviously needs to be more research about it because many women suffer from it and yet there’s still no obvious treatment that.

❝Many books and documentaries have attempted to uncover the truth of how Marilyn died. Despite exhaustive efforts, the researchers disagree about whether it was suicide, accidental overdose, or murder—and if murder, by whom and why?❞

❝She also made several other calls that evening—an astonishing number of people claim to have spoken with her during the hours before her death, but the phone records have disappeared.❞

When police arrived, Eunice was doing laundry, oddly enough. One officer wrote in his report, ❝It is officer’s opinion that Mrs. Murray was vague and possibly evasive in answering questions pertaining to the activities of Miss Monroe during this time.❞

❝Morticians estimated her time of death between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. on August 4, even though she was not officially declared dead until the morning of August 5. Her death was termed a “probable suicide.”❞

❝It’s obvious there was a cover-up following Marilyn’s death. Stories kept changing, evidence disappeared, her body appeared to have been placed in its position clutching the phone.❞

❝Of course the question, which has yet to be answered, is why a cover-up was necessary.❞

❝The investigation into Marilyn’s death was reopened in 1982, concluding that there was no evidence of murder. Efforts to have the case reopened again in 1986 failed.❞

❝For twenty years, a local florist delivered roses to Marilyn’s crypt three times a week from Joe DiMaggio, a promise he made when they married.❞ Joe never remarried.

It’s sad and disappointing that they never solved the death of Marilyn Monroe. How and why would they not want to solve her death and know how she died when she was already being celebrated back then? If she decided to end her own life it’s very sad and tragic that she didn’t get to experience a much happier and longer life, and if someone decided to end her life she deserves justice for it. Even if an honest answer to how she died wouldn’t make what happened better or easier, answers are always better than not knowing.

❝Knowing how much it meant to her to put her handprints in the cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, imagine what it would mean to her if she knew that her image would be one of the world’s most recognizable close to fifty years after her death. No actress has ever surpassed Marilyn’s fame.❞

❝If I am a star, the people made me a star,❞ said Marilyn. ❝No studio, no person, but the people did.❞

I have read many a biography and coffee table book of Marilyn Monroe, but I found this one a good mix of both.

It is a summarised overview of Marilyn Monroe's life from beginning to end. Along with her story are pictures that are now infamous, as well as some that I have never seen before.

This is a great summary for those who are intrigued but do not want a heavy read. And the layout and photography compliment the words perfectly!

Having read many of the Marilyn Monroe collections I never tire of them and always find something new and interesting to see, and this is another high quality collection full of unseen photographs and a fascinating look back at her life from beginning to end.

It's beautifully put together and the range of photographs is stunning - all the infamous and iconic pictures are included along with many I'd not seen anywhere else before so it was stunning to see them all alongside one another.

And with the photos come a chronological look back over her life, from where it started, how she persued fame, how fame treated her and then a look at her struggles, the downward spiral and her tragic end and the speculation that surrounded her death. It also features letters and reproductions of other mementoes of her life which really add to the quality of the collection. A real treasure for any Marilyn Monroe fan!!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review

I have always been intrigued by Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Mortenson).
not really because she was the famous ‘Blonde Bombshell’, but because of her troubled life and the problems she overcame.
I liked this book with rare unseen photos of the star her childhood and during her career.
The stories behind her as an individual are wonderful.
Her triumphs, tribulations and struggles are portrayed in a very informative way. The book includes a lot of memorabilia and I really enjoyed reading it, although at moments with a heavy heart.
I feel so sorry for her, all she had to endure from childhood up to being an adult.
A new must-read for Marilyn Monroe fans or just people who want to know more about her life and what she was all about.

Lovely book of photos from Marilyn's childhood thru her later years. It follows brief bits from her early. childhood thru her last days. The cover is beautiful! Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC.

What a beautiful book! What a moving tribute to Marilyn Monroe, a woman who still fascinates us over 30 years after her death. Author Jenna Glatzer presents a well-rounded portrait of Monroe, showing her at her best, her worst, and in between. She also provides a plethora of pictures, allowing us to have a visual of her ups and downs, her highs and lows.
While there are a few quotes that are quite poignant, I believe that Glatzer summed up the mystique of Marilyn Monroe best towards the end of the book: Monroe was 'insecure, needy, loving, passionate, ambitious' and that she 'represents qualities in each of us, and in people we love....there's something so heartbreaking...that the world's most everlasting star died alone...' She was and is a human conundrum, and her mysterious death only adds to that. No matter how much we think we know her, Marilyn Monroe will forever remain elusive, like a shooting star - fleetingly beautiful but never forgotten.
It is definitely a worthwhile read for any fan of Hollywood history.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for this ARC, which was voluntarily read and reviewed.

This is a nice book about Marilyn Monroe’s life. We are also treated to a lot of beautiful photographs.
I knew my fair share but about Marilyn, but learned some new things. It is a good book for anybody who is interested in finding out more about Marilyn.

Marilyn Monroe is one of the most famous women who ever lived and it feels now as though we must have seen every picture of her ever taken. This book, however, includes some never before seen photos from childhood onwards, tending more towards more natural shots of her relaxing rather that just studio approved pictures or film stills and, along with the text, it gives a sense of Marilyn (a name she disliked, wishing she had just insisted on Jean Monroe) as a person rather than an icon. The text does not go into as much detail as longer biographies may but it gave a good outline of her life in some detail and the picture painted is very sympathetic and respectful.

I really enjoyed this book and it's an essential addition to the collection of anyone interested in the life of Marilyn Monroe.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the copy in return for an honest review.

#MarilynMonroe #NetGalley

Marilyn Monroe
1926 - 1962

There's magic in those numbers. And possibly the reason why the world never found "another Marilyn Monroe."

Magic is hard to duplicate.

There is much written on her, and I haven't read it all to draw comparisons. What I will say however is that this work by Jenna Glatzer is matter-of-fact and never comes across as lasvicious or intrusive at any point. The layout has enough white space around the images, lines, and margins making it easy on the eyes. Splashes of color and vintage black-and-white photos are juxtaposed well against the text which follows a strict chronological order. Chapters are arranged by year spans, with whimsical titles.

While this work expounds on the tragic instances in her life known to most - the orphanages, foster homes, exploitation, poverty, and reckless relationships, it also throws light on her generosity of spirit amidst seemingly unending adversity.

As the book comes to a close, there's a foreshadowing of the inevitable tragic end of a person underwater. The world's greatest cinema icon. Died alone. Found dead.

I liked the last photo chosen to close this title - a full-page B&W image of Marilyn pouting through semi-closed eyes. There is a certain wistful and bitter-sweet quality to it. You will see :-)

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

The this book is obviously about sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (real name Norma Jeane Mortenson ) born on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California.

Marilyn is widely considered one of the most beautiful women to ever life and this book captures that beauty in some stunning photos. But it is also more than that. There is never before seen pictures ranging from childhood, and throughout her career.

It also tells Marilyn’s story, the story behind who she is in a lovely way. Portraying her struggles in an informative yet respectful way. I learned things I did not know before which really made me feel sorry for Marilyn.

This is a must read for anyone who is interested in Marilyn and wants to see never before seen pictures or know more about her life and struggles etc.


*I was given an advance readers copy (ARC) from NetGalley for my honest opinion of this book*

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Beautiful edition to any Marilyn Monroe lovers collection. Interesting read and the pictures were a nice surprise.

“Marilyn Monroe: A Photographic Life” is by Jenna Glatzer. This is a republished book (the original was published as “The Marilyn Monroe Treasures” in 2008), so I’m not sure what differs between the two editions (the cover photograph being the same confused me). This book has a number of photos I hadn’t seen before, and I liked the way the narrative worked with the photos. It’s so obvious that the camera loved Ms. Monroe as even her small yearbook photo is pretty good. I think this is a great coffee table book and a conversation starter.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC.

I have always been intrigued by Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Mortenson). Not because she was the famous ‘Blonde Bombshell’, but because of her troubled life. I liked this book with rare photos of Marilyn her childhood and during her career. The stories behind her as an individual are great. Her triumphs and struggles are portrayed in a very informative way. The book includes a lot of memorabilia and I really enjoyed reading it, although at moments with a heavy heart. I feel so sorry for her and all she had to endure from childhood up to being an adult. A must-read for Marilyn Monroe fans or just people who want to know more about her life.