Marilyn and Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe’s life and legacy have been analyzed at great length, yet the public remains captivated. Historian Crowther (Dorothy Parker in Hollywood) delves into a part of Monroe’s life not often examined: her bookshelves. The books, most of which were sold at auction in 1999, are the core of this literary take on Monroe. Many specific titles are discussed, and the full list from the Christie’s auction is used as backmatter for those wishing to see more. Diving into Marilyn’s bookshelves leads to a discussion about what a person’s literary choices reveal about their psyche. Even the lie that Marilyn couldn’t read is given latitude, along with other myths surrounding her intelligence. Her literary influences, her own influence on literature, and glimpses of her voice, told in notes she scribbled in the margins of her books, are all given space.