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The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,668 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes the definitive biography of the most enduring icon in popular American culture.
When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn's world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told...until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress' life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian.
He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn's own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn's father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy's-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the final word on the life of one of the most fascinating and elusive icons of the 20th Century.
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"At about 500 pages, this was a hefty biography. But it didn't drag at all...the writing was personal and compelling and kept me reading. And Taraborrelli definitely needed all of that space to give an fair and accurate portrait of Marilyn's complicated life. I enjoyed this biography, and I think that's what I most liked about it: a recent book, this sifted through all of the fabrications about Marilyn's life (some that she even created herself!) to get to the meat of what was going on with her. It was a sad story. Both her mother and grandmother suffered from schizophrenia, and it was a disease she was running from all of her life, attempting to control it with more and more medication. Her personal relations did nothing to help her condition, from the foster homes she was bounced around to, to her ill and thus uncaring mother, to her unstable husbands and lovers: abusive Joe DiMaggio, emotionally abusive Arthur Miller, Frank Sinatra, the Kennedys. In the end it seems she was a tragic figure who succumbed to her mental illness...but also a strong woman who was able to create and maintain herself as a national icon. She is always fascinating."
— Sue (4 out of 5 stars)
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“As Taraborrelli brushes away cobwebs of myth and rumor, his remarkable research and fluid writing captures Marilyn’s élan, sensitivity, desperation, and despair with a haunting intimacy.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Petkoff’s diligence as a narrator matches Taraborrelli’s accomplishments in generating a fresh analysis of the iconic Marilyn Monroe. With Petkoff’s Midas touch, the cast of characters comes to life with crisp clarity and attention to nuance.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred audio review) -
“All of the well-known (and lesser-known) highs and lows are clearly detailed, including her personal pain and struggles with her mother (whom she consistently tried to keep in her life), marriages to Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller, her suspicions of her own mental illness, her relationships with the Kennedys, and more. Readers will find this a surprisingly sensitive portrait, not easy to put down.”
— Booklist -
“The definitive Monroe biography.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe Listener Reviews
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" For the most part I like this book. She is very interesting and there were a lot of things I didn't know about her life that the author revealed. I wasn't crazy about the way it was written somehow, sometimes I was a little bored. I did like the parts about her relationship with her foster mother in her adult life. It's sad that Marilyn died so young, she had a rough life. "
— Lisa, 2/15/2014 -
" Too much information to digest. "
— Eileen, 1/11/2014 -
" My second or third Marilyn book. I really liked this one. most things regarding Marilyn may or may not be fact. It is hard to tell because there are so many unknowns. "
— Samantha, 1/6/2014 -
" Well researched and well written. Great take on Marilyn's life, supported with plenty of factual information. It is a much more tame version of her life though, not really digging into her affairs as much as her life. "
— Shannon, 12/27/2013 -
" This is the best biography on Marilyn. It was interesting, and made me fall in love with Marilyn. The details of her life are so intriguing, and the book reflects how mysterious and lovely she was. "
— Kayla, 12/20/2013 -
" LOVED this book! Was addicted to it! It read like a piece of fiction! "
— Jessy, 12/18/2013 -
" i'm a Marilyn fan. enjoyed this book. "
— Kena, 12/14/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this depction of Marilyn... My interest was keot throughout the entire novel. Glad to add this book to my library "
— Megan, 12/9/2013 -
" I just love Marilyn... "
— Ronda, 10/10/2013 -
" interesting outlook on MM - very thorough in deed "
— Aimee, 10/4/2013 -
" Read this book in 3 days! Very interesting! "
— Bridget, 8/15/2013 -
" sad,sad,sad marilyn was murder.hollywood fuck up people. "
— Mirror, 2/5/2013 -
" Extremely thorough. You can tell the author has extreme respect for Norma Jean. "
— Candice, 8/18/2012 -
" a good book, very interesting but very long. "
— Laesar, 8/12/2012 -
" appearances are deceiving, even though everything wasn't 100% confirmed true, it was still an interesting read. "
— Eryn, 8/7/2012 -
" Entertaining, fast-paced, and informative. The author spends a lot of time debunking the Kennedy myth but generally gives a fair view of events. "
— Tiara, 4/11/2012 -
" This is the first book I have ever read about Marilyn Monroe. It was well written and I now have a greater idea of who she was and what a struggle it was for her and those around her. "
— Melissa, 2/7/2012 -
" The writer does an excellent job of gathering information from people who actually knew Marilyn. The book is a very comprehensive and accurate account. I loved it! "
— Trina, 2/5/2011 -
" This was the firstMarilyn bio that I've read, so don't have any others to compare it to, but overall it was a good read.It was interesting to learn stories about her that I hadn't heard of before. "
— Mercedes, 1/9/2011 -
" As a huge Marilyn Monroe fan, this novel was breathtaking.It truly explained what was going on in Marilyn's life.It broke my heart to read this, but it was a treat.Highly recommended. "
— Brianne, 12/24/2010 -
" This book was <u>perfect</u>!<br/>I used this for a History class assignment, and it was just perfect. Great written and I think it's amazing with all these interviews and how he managed to get it all from her life. "
— Artemis, 12/12/2010 -
" Has A LOT of information but too much at some parts that i don't need to know "
— Kelsey, 11/12/2010 -
" What a sad life... Poor Marilyn... the cards were against her from the start. "
— Vicki, 10/20/2010 -
" she lived such a wonderful yet sad life. this book digs deep into it to show her life and those around her from beginning to end. it answered several questions i had about marilyn. "
— Jillian, 10/18/2010 -
" This book starts out with the history of her family starting with her grandma a little hard to get into and im a really big fan of the Old Hollywood era, so hopefully it gets better! "
— Stephanie, 10/17/2010 -
" Author concludes that JFK, RFK, and the shrink (and the housekeeper) had nothing to do with her death. Monroe was a severely troubled woman and died either by suicide or by an accident (self-inflicted). "
— Audrey, 8/6/2010
About J. Randy Taraborrelli
J. Randy Taraborrelli is the author of twenty biographies, most of which have become New York Times bestsellers, including After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family 1968 to the Present, which was adapted as a mini-series for Reelz; and Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill, which he is adapting for television.
About Robert Petkoff
Robert Petkoff is an actor and audiobook narrator who has won a prestigious Audie Award and multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice. He has appeared on Chappelle’s Show, Law & Order, and Quantum Leap. His Broadway credits include Sir Robin in Spamalot, Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, and Tateh in Ragtime.