Rating: 
Summary: No one respected Marilyn,
Review: least of all Marilyn! Here was a sad and tragic woman who just wanted to be loved, but even when she was loved, she was unable to believe it or accept it. This book is so sad and heartbreaking. It left me wanting to comfort the little girl inside Marilyn Monroe. She longed for respect, but also did not believe she deserved it. Marilyn should have had therapy when she was a young girl. By the time she was in therapy, it was too little, to late. This book is fascinating. I loved that Barbara Leaming gave us a lot of details, because it helped me to really get a feeling for Marilyn and her life. I also enjoyed reading about other people such as Arthur Miller, Joe DiMaggio, Elia Kazan and Lee & Paula Strasberg. (To name just a few!)This book gives you a very clear picture of Hollywood and all of its selfish, greedy and self-oriented people. This book makes me feel that Marilyn did not get a fair shake in this world. It is also apparent, though that Marilyn made some big mistakes that hurt her badly. She was a lost girl and she needed help and guidance that she never really got. Most of the people she received 'help' from had their own agendas and so their 'help' focused more on them than it did Marilyn. There was a huge part of Marilyn that never grew up. She was fragile and was unable to stand the harshness of this world, and so, she self-destructed. Excellent book - sad book - intriguing book - absolutely worth reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Tragedy of a Book
Review: Marilyn Monroe had a life made to be written about. From birth to death she was abused, taken advantage of, and underestimated, yet her will and determination brought her to the top of Hollywood glitter and gloss. Unfortunately, this book does a very bad job of showing that. Leaming concentrate so much on showing how almost everyone in Monroe's life misunderstood or underestimated that she turns Monroe into a brainless idiot. Monroe is again and again portrayed as a confused, insecure girl who just needs someone to think for her and tell her what to do.
While the book is historically accurate, a strong picture of Monroe is not given. In order to survive all that Monroe went through to get to the top, a girl had to be strong-willed, intelligent, and devious. Yet again and again Leaming emphasises the weak points of Monroe's character and life, glossing over moments when Monroe's strength and determination and intelligence win her victories of her own.
I suggest renting this book from your local library first, along with other Monroe biographies, then decided if it is worth spending the money on. Personally, I don't think it is.
Rating:
Summary: Marilyn Monroe As You've Never Seen Her Before!
Review: Neither sensational, nor scandalous, nor trashy, Leaming's extremely well-documented tome concentrates on Marilyn Monroe's struggles with her studio, 20th Century Fox, and her relationship with the various men and women in her professional life (agents, producers, directors, partners, etc.) and in her personal life (boyfriends, husbands, ex-husbands, mentors, psychiatrists, acting teachers, etc.) Monroe wanted to be in charge of her own career, but was perceived by many (notably Daryl Zanuck)to be talentless and empty-headed. She was anything but talentless and empty-headed, but it was an uphill battle trying to convince those in the positions of helping or hindering her career. Her growing paranoia (there was mental illness in her family and Leaming says she feared she was next in line)and her increasing performance anxieties finally did her in, and she was fired by the studio. Her reputation as someone who was difficult to work with and undependable made producers leery of hiring her. Growing ever more dependent on her acting teachers (the Strasbergs) and her psychiatrists (Marianne Kris and Ralph Greenson) and drinking and doping to excess most probably led to her suicide. She'd attempted to kill herself several times before. Her relationship with her husbands Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller is explored in a fascinating new way. All you ever thought you knew -- from the tabloids and the gossip columns -- may have just skimmed the surface of the complex reality. A must-read for anyone interested in the Marilyn Monroe phenomenon, the big Hollywood studios, and the movie biz in general. Leaming's research and documentation are truly impressive.Essential for any library/personal movie collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Sure, it's impressive and scholarly, with a new angle on a time worn story, but for the average reader curious about Marilyn's life, the tedious overdetailed narrative, full of literary cliches and repetitions as well as the bad structure omitting her adolescent years, lack of chapter titles (years would be good)or detailed footnotes (not even a mandatory bibliography or filmography)make for boring and frustrating reading. No attempt is made to reveal Marilyn as a person, quotes from her a sparse, we are told what to think instead of being shown the evidence --her death, for instance. Of course, Marilyn is to be admired for her studio battles but Marilyn is much, much more than 'Marilyn Monroe' the ambitious actress.
Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Mediocre Monroe Biography
Review: The picture on the cover is one of my favorite of Marilyn Monroe. Too bad the content of the book is so mediocre. The book offers no new revelations on the extraordinary life of Marilyn Monroe and I wondered why the author bothered to write it. The best that can be said of this book is that it lacks the sleezy sensationalism of some Monroe biographies.If you know nothing about Marilyn Monroe, this might be an O.K. book. However, "Legend" by Frank Guiles remains THE definative Monroe biography. Better luck next time.
Rating:
Summary: best book on monroe, finally some logic.
Review: This book definitely changed the way that I perceive Marilyn Monroe. My past exposure to her has just been in a few of her better-known films, such as _Gentlemen Prefer Blondes_ and _Some Like It Hot_. If you believe Marilyn was a smart, witty, loveable, strong role model type of woman that she portrays in these films, don't listen to the tapes. After listening, I have come to the conclusion that Marilyn is a drug addicted, self centered, psychotic, emotionally disturbed woman, whose only life skill seemed to be hiding her true self while in front of a camera. What did I learn about Marilyn? She was chronically late for work, regularly too intoxicated to work, and frequently refused to work, even when conditions met her already signed contract. Barbara Leaming presents Marilyn as a woman who is constantly the victim of circumstances around her. Marilyn's troubles are attributed to a bad childhood, or the pressures of a jealous husband. The stress of having to look good all the time is the cause of her going on a tremendous eating binge. The misery from all of her abandonment is what causes her to do drugs, and to strike out at the most important people in her life. A director's misinterpreted word of encouragement forces her to stay out of work for the week. Her mother's disapproval is why she must wear a dress that leaves her nipples exposed to a political dinner. All the while she agonizes over why the men at the studio don't take her seriously. The tapes themselves were produced well, easy to listen to; the speaker had a pleasant tone throughout. The only drawback here was - with the story expanded over 12 tapes, I was certainly ready for it to be done, long before it was done. If you do listen to the book on tape version, keep listening after the end of the story. There is a pretty decent excerpt from another book on tape about Judge Judy. As much as I have to say that I hate the way this biography changed my view of Marilyn, I have to give it a good rating. Over all, 4 stars. That's 5 for the story being so strong as to change my opinion this thoroughly, but minus one for the constant victim theme, that I can't believe honestly reflects reality.
Rating: 
Summary: I wish I hadn't listened...
Review: This book definitely changed the way that I perceive Marilyn Monroe. My past exposure to her has just been in a few of her better-known films, such as _Gentlemen Prefer Blondes_ and _Some Like It Hot_. If you believe Marilyn was a smart, witty, loveable, strong role model type of woman that she portrays in these films, don't listen to the tapes. After listening, I have come to the conclusion that Marilyn is a drug addicted, self centered, psychotic, emotionally disturbed woman, whose only life skill seemed to be hiding her true self while in front of a camera. What did I learn about Marilyn? She was chronically late for work, regularly too intoxicated to work, and frequently refused to work, even when conditions met her already signed contract. Barbara Leaming presents Marilyn as a woman who is constantly the victim of circumstances around her. Marilyn's troubles are attributed to a bad childhood, or the pressures of a jealous husband. The stress of having to look good all the time is the cause of her going on a tremendous eating binge. The misery from all of her abandonment is what causes her to do drugs, and to strike out at the most important people in her life. A director's misinterpreted word of encouragement forces her to stay out of work for the week. Her mother's disapproval is why she must wear a dress that leaves her nipples exposed to a political dinner. All the while she agonizes over why the men at the studio don't take her seriously. The tapes themselves were produced well, easy to listen to; the speaker had a pleasant tone throughout. The only drawback here was - with the story expanded over 12 tapes, I was certainly ready for it to be done, long before it was done. If you do listen to the book on tape version, keep listening after the end of the story. There is a pretty decent excerpt from another book on tape about Judge Judy. As much as I have to say that I hate the way this biography changed my view of Marilyn, I have to give it a good rating. Over all, 4 stars. That's 5 for the story being so strong as to change my opinion this thoroughly, but minus one for the constant victim theme, that I can't believe honestly reflects reality.
Rating:
Summary: Feelings
Review: This book left me feeling all sorts of things when I was through with it. There were points when I was happy for her, and others when I was angry with her. Sometimes I was just shaking my head, asking her, what were you thinking? I also felt very sad. After I was through with the book, I cried. This book makes you feel like you know the real Marilyn Monroe.
Rating:
Summary: Fair
Review: This book started out okay, but as I read on I was learning more about Arthur Miller than Marilyn Monroe. Entirely too much info on him and the HUAC. Read 3/4 of book and had enough.
Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK TELLS IT LIKE IT WAS!
Review: This detailed and fascinating account of Marilyn's life is a must read for any serious fan. It shows many of Marilyn's relationships with clarity, you feel as if you really know these people. I especially like this book because it doesn't resort to farfetched murder theorys but shows a much more realistic ending to Marilyn's life. The public doesn't want to accept such a "boring" solution and it doesn't make as much money. Read this book, i hope you will agree with me.
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