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Marilyn Monroe: The Biography Audiobook
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(3.03) - 631 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Fifty years after her death, Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe still beguiles the world, her image enthralling millions. Many books have attempted to explain her allure and tell her story, but none has succeeded as well as this work by acclaimed biographer Donald Spoto.
Spoto’s exhaustive research uncovers a conspiracy of silence, allowing him to present the facts, free from often-repeated myths and speculation. Granted access to more than thirty-five thousand pages of formerly sealed files containing letters, diaries, appointment books, and other intimate papers, he also interviewed nearly two hundred people who had never before spoken on record. From the papers of Marilyn’s psychiatrist and her medical files to recently declassified government documents, the truth emerges and provides a moving, often shocking picture of the real Marilyn Monroe—including her connection to the Kennedys and the bizarre, horrifying truth about how she really died.
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"Growing up with the image of Marilyn Monroe and her sudden death, I was always fascinated by her and how unreal she was. This well-researched biography dispels many, many untruths such as liaisons with Robert Kennedy and mafia connections. The book chronicles how astute Marilyn was and also how low her self esteem was. Its a recipe for disaster. It uncovers some provocative reasons for her death -- chief among them is the obsession her Freudian psychoanalyst had with her."
— Stormy (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This is a book that wound up teaching me a great deal about Hollywood, the social history of California, the movie business, the trials of female actors in American show business, and the life of a woman who has been so mythologized that often the real woman is obscured from actual view.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Spoto has given Monroe the treatment she deserves. At last she emerges not as a goddess but as a human being in this extraordinary volume.”
— Daily Telegraph (London) -
“Provocative!”
— Entertainment Weekly
Marilyn Monroe Listener Reviews
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" Finally done. *takes a deep breath* NOt a fan of biographies so this took me longer than I would have liked but it wasn't all bad... "
— Tash, 2/18/2014 -
" I'm being generous by giving this book a full star!! I don't usually put a book down halfway through, but this book was so dry & dull, I couldn't finish it. "
— Karina, 2/2/2014 -
" Riveting book and factual too. It went into a lot of detail about co-stars lives which was unnecessary but overall eye opening. "
— Amanda, 2/2/2014 -
" Very sad life. The book went overly into minute background details of every person in Marilyn's life so it dragged a little. "
— Brenna, 1/29/2014 -
" The only book that ever made me cry. It was soooo good! "
— Christago, 1/27/2014 -
" A book depicting the complete life of Marilyn Monroe, with bits of information of the people associated with her that dragged the story a little bit, took me few weeks to finish in between going to work and on my nights off. Revealing the truth of how she really died. But sometime while reading the book, i kind of hated her. I hated her for being a dupe! She allowed some people around her to use her fame and allowed herself to succumb to a deadly habit that ended up taking her life away without having to reflect what it's going to do to her health. But then, i still liked her. She was generous and full of compassion. She hates seeing people miserable, when she has little or more than enough to give, she helps the poor and needy, she was easy to reach out to people who needs comfort. Sadly, at the end of the story her life ended very untimely, she could have achieved more. "
— Aimee, 1/18/2014 -
" This biography is VERY in depth. Maybe a little too much for me. "
— georgie, 1/14/2014 -
" absolutely boring and difficult to read. could not finish the book!!! "
— Dawn, 12/21/2013 -
" Really good and informative biography on Marilyn Monroe. Clears up lots of rumors and myths about her life. Very detailed account of her very controversial death. Really enjoyed this book, although it was LONG and heavy and took me forever to read. "
— Krysten, 12/20/2013 -
" Very interesting. Wonder how much is correct, seems believable. Bit too long and detailed. "
— Jennifer, 12/18/2013 -
" Donald Spoto is an excellent biographer, very thorough. "
— M, 12/13/2013 -
" Very detailed, sometimes extremely slow. But overall a great read and a tragically beautiful story about Marilyn Monroe. Good summer read for all you biography lovers! "
— Ana, 12/10/2013 -
" Spoto reveals her vulnerability, her artistry, & her humanity. Plus, her Autopsy details are revealed, which add a twist to Marilyn's death... "
— Paraskevi, 12/9/2013 -
" LEARNED ALOT FROM THIS BOOK ABOUT MY FAVORITE ICON. "
— Crystal, 10/26/2013 -
" Read this because I saw My Week with Marilyn. This is a very complete book but the writer is not terribly talented-lots of odd sentences, awkward and very static writing. But I did get a fuller picture of Marilyn. "
— Mary, 9/13/2013 -
" One of the best biographies on Marilyn Monroe available!!! Highly recommended. "
— Nicci, 6/27/2013 -
" If you love Marilyn Monroe this is the biography to read. "
— Rachel, 6/25/2013 -
" very in depth book that explores Monroe's career from the age of 16 to her death. Lots of interviews and theories. "
— Raya, 6/20/2013 -
" Before I begin, I think I should point out that I didn't know much about Marilyn Monroe before reading this biography. Although, at times, I felt as though I were reading a textbook, I found Spoto's biography of Marilyn Monroe to be honest, thorough, and (mostly) objective. "
— Caroline, 6/20/2013 -
" Donald Spoto really brought out Marilyn's personality. I could not put this book down. It is lengthy but ever-so worth it. "
— Emily, 4/4/2013 -
" All anyone needs to say about this is that it is one of the top 3 most reliable books about Monroe. No biography will be perfect but around 95% is relatively accurate, so if you want to learn about Monroe, this is the perfect book. "
— Laurie, 2/27/2013 -
" liked the bio of her i do not usually read bios but she is very interesting "
— Tabitha, 2/25/2013 -
" I could not get into this book at all. Very disappointing. "
— Jenny, 10/29/2012 -
" This is very well researched and eliminates many of the myths while it creates new ones. The photos are unusual and I think the author could have chosen better. "
— Megan, 9/8/2012
About Donald Spoto
Donald Spoto is the author of more than twenty books, including bestselling biographies of Alfred Hitchcock, Tennessee Williams, Laurence Olivier, Marlene Dietrich, Ingrid Bergman, and Audrey Hepburn. He lives with his husband, Danish artist and school administrator Ole Flemming Larsen, near Copenhagen, Denmark.
About Anna Fields
Kate Fleming (a.k.a. Anna Fields) (1965–2006), winner of more than a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2004, was one of the most respected narrators in the industry. Trained at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she was also a director, producer, and technician at her own studio, Cedar House Audio.