Review: MARILYN by Lois Banner

3.5 of 5 stars



When I first received the hardcover book, I was excited to read it. I was always fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and eagerly looked forward to finding out new details about her. Ms. Banner certainly has loaded the book with a lot of information, but I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't really anything new.



Marilyn was a complicated woman and her experiences in her childhood certainly shaped the woman she became Ms. Banner contends. I was surprised by comparisons the author makes between Marilyn and herself including her beauty. I find this a bit odd to include in a biography about Marilyn and perhaps even a bit egotistical. There was no one like Marilyn - she was an original.



This book was certainly written by an academic - theories presented and explored with in-depth analysis, but this very attention to even the most minute detail led to a dry read for me. For fans of Marilyn, this book certainly raises new questions, but no one will ever know the truth of Marilyn's death.