Review: The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by J. Randy Taraborrelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I haven’t read any other biographies on Miss Monroe so I don’t really have a measure to place this experience against .
After reading this book I have become entranced with the effects of fame on 50’s era celebrities.
I had no idea how troubled Marilyn’s ubringing was before reading this book. She was basically tossed around amongst several mother-like characters with a total lack of father figures in her life.
That explains a lot when it comes to the image that Marilyn created for herself.
Monroe’s (or Baker’s, or Mortensen’s) constant need to be wanted manifests itself in her behaviour of always being late or absent on set over several years of her mega-stardom and this makes sense after reading her childhood background.
Regarding this book, as a neophyte to Miss Monroe’s biographical sketch I was very happy with the map that the author laid out. He did great research and placed about the landscape of his book a nice pilgrimage representing his own studies across the lexicon of myriad Marilyn stories.
I really appreciated the author’s extra effort in fact checking which helped to dispel a lot of erroneous accounts one will find plastered about prior to his book.
The title almost comes across as a misnomer. You would think that “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe” would be an account of gossipy half-truths but in essence Mr. Taraborelli’s book helped to set straigh many untrue accounts out there.
I should give it more stars and the only reason I don’t is that the book comes across as a little dry.
That being said, this was a sober account of a very non-sober life and after spending several days fact checking after completion of reading it…it seems that the author spent a good ten years filtering out all of the B.S. that one would realize in reading most biographies of Miss Monroe’s life.
Whether you are new to the tragic story of Miss Monroe or a veteran looking to vet the diorama of hyperbole currently fluttering about the internet and airwaves, I think you will find a sobering and realistic account of Miss Monroe’s life here.
And I hate that you will also have the same feeling as me after reading it; no matter who you are you will agree with me that this was a life that was not lived long enough.
Don Theo III
50,000 Words 