The Best Marilyn Monroe Books to Read Before Blonde
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Since Marilyn Monroe’s death, there has been no shortage of biographies, documentaries, docu-series, illustrated books, oral tradition, podcasts, and artworks created in her memory – all serving in their different ways to better understand the inimitable icon , whose life was notoriously shrouded in mystery.
In September, Ana de Armas will attempt to reveal more about Monroe’s life in Blonde, based on Joyce Carol Oates’ best-selling novel. The film, like the book, is a reimagined version of Monroe’s life, blending fact and fiction to paint a portrait of what Marilyn Monroe represented in that era of Hollywood.
But behind the bombastic photos that have made Monroe the ultimate sex symbol are complex emotions, deep intelligence and a moving story that ultimately led to her untimely death at the age of 36.
Check out some of the best Marilyn Monroe books to read before watching Blonde this fall, below. Check out more books being made into TV shows and movies here.
Marilyn: Norma Jeane by Gloria Steinem
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From feminist icon and activist Gloria Steinem comes this intricate portrait of Marilyn Monroe, one of the first credited with changing public perceptions of the historical actor and model. Through stories never told before, Steinem reveals the tortured emotions and intelligence that often lie behind the photos that have made Monroe the ultimate sex symbol.
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Norma Jean: The Life of Marilyn Monroe by Fred Lawrence Guiles
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Norman Mailer cites Fred Lawrence Guiles as the “primary source of the facts about Marilyn,” someone whose entire life and history is often shrouded in mystery and rumor. But Guile’s definitive biography, Norma Jean, sets the record straight, including interviews with some of the people who have been closest to Monroe throughout her life, like her husband and acclaimed playwright Arthur Miller; her first husband James E. Dougherty; Frank Taylor, producer of The Misfits; Lee Strasberg; Otto Preminger; Billy Wilder; Joshua Logan and John Houston.
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“My Story” by Marilyn Monroe
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In this autobiography, Marilyn Monroe tells the story of her own life for the first time, which stretches back to her childhood as an orphan in Los Angeles. Also in the book of revelations, published over a decade after her death, she recounts her first (non-consensual) sexual encounter as a young girl, her hurricane romance with Yankee clipper Joe DiMaggio, and dozens of others Passages showing the intelligence and wit not sufficiently appreciated in her lifetime. Perhaps the most shocking line in the book is Monroe’s prescient description of himself as “the kind of girl they found dead in the hallway bedroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand.”
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“MM Personal – From the Private Archives of Marilyn Monroe” by Lois Banner
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Flipping through Lois Banner’s thoughtful curation in MM Personal feels like you’re wading through the closets, drawers and closets of the historical actor and model himself. There is no editorial board, no agenda and no sensationalist stories. Instead, you’ll find a massive collection of screenshots, documents, and memorabilia from Monroe’s private archive, coming together to paint a portrait of her incredibly complex life.
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Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe
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There is something magical about seeing the remnants of a past life, whether they are tattered or faded or almost unrecognizable after decades of neglect. That’s what Stanley Buchthal taps into with Fragments, which features handwritten notebooks, notes, letters and poems written by Marilyn Monroe herself throughout her life. Of the hundreds of pages that have been written about Monroe since her death, it is the fragmented notes she left behind (perhaps not meant to be read by anyone else) that best understand her life and feelings.
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“Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon” by Charles Casillo
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Charles Casillos’ groundbreaking 2018 biography of Marilyn Monroe is considered one of the most definitive accounts of the icon’s life, based on years of interviews and research found nowhere else. Alongside her abusive childhood, her battle with bipolar disorder, and her notorious affairs with Rob and John F. Kennedy, Casillo also meticulously delves into her final days and reveals the tragic misunderstandings that contributed to her death.
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Blonde: A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates
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The bestselling Blonde is one of the most acclaimed works from prolific novelist Joyce Carol Oates, who reimagines Marilyn Monroe’s life in a fictional first-person retelling of her upbringing and rise to stardom. The 768-page epic tale is both a story-driven tribute to the 20th-century American star and a universal tale that uses creative liberties to speak about the nagging feelings so often at the heart of Hollywood’s biggest names. The film version of the book is coming to Netflix this September, starring Ana de Armas as Monroe. For more books being made into TV shows and movies, click here.
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“Norman Mailer. Marilyn Monroe. Bert Stern’
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Bert Stern’s iconic ‘Last Sitting’ photos of Marilyn Monroe, taken just weeks before her death, are combined with Norman Mailer’s controversial 1973 biography in this brand new pocket photo book. One of the most elite photographers of the 20th century, Stern is known for capturing the most intimate photos of Monroe ever taken. Mailer’s biography Marilyn, while controversial, is symbolic of what Monroe represented in Hollywood and beyond during her reign of the industry. You can find more coffee table books here.
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