Legend: The Life and Death of Marilyn Monroe

by Guiles and Fred Lawrence Guiles

Book Overview

Of the three Brady sisters, Lady Marcia has always seemed the girl most likely to lead a perfectly charmed life. But after a handsome cad breaks her heart, she swears off love and devotes her life to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812829832
• ISBN13: 9780812829839
• Release Date: January 1984
• Publisher: Stein and Day
• Length: 501 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A great book about an amazing woman...

Great book about such a beautiful woman who had a difficult life from day 1. This books provides alot of insight into Marilyn's life. I highly recommend it.

A great "First read" for new Marilyn fans/students

This was one of the first books I'd read on MM, wish it had been my first. Guiles does not use gossip and sensationalism, I like that. He gives the reader the person behind the myth, portrayed with the respect she deserves. It was written pre-Slatzer and Carmen, so you don't have them muddying the facts of Marilyn's life and death. I just recently recommended this to someone looking for a good first book to read on Marilyn. [...]

blonde, beautiful, and doomed...

I seem to have read the Marilyn Monroe biograhpies backward, because so many of the ones I've already read (including Norman Mailer's, Gloria Steinem's, and Barbara Leaming's) used Guiles' _Legend_ (or his first Marilyn book, _Norma Jean_) as a reference and guide. This book is truly incredible for its in-depth look into a confusing, tragic life; especially since Marilyn often embellished her past.I especially enjoyed Guiles' treatment of her decline. He never judged; he was sympathetic and kind about her lateness, dependence on drugs, and occasional fits of bitchiness. Unlike other biographers, Guiles didn't place all that much emphasis on her barbituate addiction, which I felt was kind of refreshing. Her death was handled eloquently, steering the reader toward a suicide verdict, carefully negating other reports.I have only a couple of minor complaints; I think if I could I would give the book 4 1/2 stars. Twice near the beginning of his biography, Guiles points out that Marilyn was "not naturally pretty." He said it about Norma Jeane when she was starting to model, and again about Marilyn after some of her plastic surgery. How could he say that? It just seems like an odd statement to make about the greatest sex symbol of all time, especially because of her vulnerable, luminous quality. Also, regarding her marriage to Jim Dougherty, it seemed that Guiles took every word Jim said as gospel, when he would have as much reason as Marilyn to embellish that situation to his benefit (and no more proof than she had, and of course when Jim wrote his book, she was already dead).On the whole, this is the best book on Marilyn Monroe, comparable only with Donald Spoto's biography. I recommend it to all readers, not simply people who are already Marilyn fans.

Powerful and Moving

Mr. Guiles again gives an in-depth and touching, personal, human side in his biography of Marilyn Monroe. I highly recommend this book, and all his Hollywood biographies to anyone who wants to learn about the story behind the famous and beautiful faces on the silver screen.

Speaking as fellow Platinum Blonde this book was....

Awesome! I loved every page, I read with a desire! This book had so much information on Marilyn Monroe it was scary. It gives the 411 on all her stories and how she came to be-and die- one of the most glamourus women in Amercan Culture ever! The devine Ms. M's fairy tale started out by chance, and gives light on how Marilyn really was and how she came to be. I would recomend this book to everyone!