Marilyn Monroe: Private and Confidential [Brossura]

I have been a Monroe fan since 1953 (How To Marry A Millionaire) and a collector since 1959 (Some Like It Hot). I make it a point to buy every book published and released on Marilyn, and find that this newest addition to the collection is among the best. Ms. Morgan is obviously a great fan of Marilyn having researched this book for many years before putting it all down on paper. Compared to some other authors who splash some facts mixed with speculation and rumor and rush out a new "expose", Michelle Morgan went the extra distance to find people who knew Marilyn and can add their insights to the Marilyn canon.

I was especially taken with the reminiscences of George Chakiris who appeared in the "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" number in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I've told people for years that he was in that number but no one believed me. Can you imagine the thrill of working on that scene?

And the photos are not to be believed. Why has it taken so many years for some of these to surface when hundreds of previous authors have interviewed Marilyn's family and friends? This is an amazing accomplishment and I am very thankful to Ms. Morgan for her tenacity and endurance in getting this book put together. The book has a luscious jacket, is very heavy (so no reading on the subway on the way to work) and comes with a bookmark ribbon so you don't have to try and read this all in one sitting. Though that certainly is a temptation.

Personally, I flipped out by her "Sources" section where she lists all of the documents that she used in researching for this book. I was especially floored by the listing of magazine and newspaper references. I have many unmarked clippings from old movie magazines and can now update my log with the date or writer or source name that I didn't have before. And the "Sources" section also provides a listing of documents that I can add to my "want list".

Kudos to Michelle Morgan for a crowning achievement.

Years of research went into this biography, and it shows. Michelle has written an outstanding book, featuring interviews with many people who've never spoken publicly about Marilyn before. It's a very well balanced view of the woman who became a legend: it depicts her as neither angel nor devil, but a combination of both, depending on who's being quoted. The last page gave me chills. It's a beautiful book and well worth reading.

The book easily flies to the top of the list of books about Marilyn Monroe as one of the finest, most thoughtful, comprehensive, well-written and understanding books written. The photos (many never before published) are an outstanding addition to the book, but it is the detailed, sensitive biography which takes the reader steadily through Marilyn's life which is makes it truly priceless.

Obviously this was a labor of love; Michelle Morgan has done a superb job of capturing an enormous amount of detail into one book. Interviews with folks who knew Marilyn (but who are not 'famous' or have an ulterior motive) distinctly add to the in-depth depiction of this extremely talented woman of so many facets.

Ms. Morgan also does a fine job of stating the basic, well-known facts around Marilyn's untimely depth without forcing any theory upon the reader. It's truly wonderful to read a biography which is just that--the story of a person's life--and not a book which relies on sensationalism to 'sell' it. This book gives a sense of Marilyn as woman, actress, wife, friend and sensitive human being. It brings depth into understanding of her relationships with her three husbands, giving the reader a sense of each of Miss Monroe's marriages.

I highly recommend this book to any long-time or brand-new fan of Marilyn's. You won't be disappointed.