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No one looked like her. No one walked like her. No one talked like her. Sexy yet vulnerable, and unexpectedly talented, she was no ordinary screen goddess. Few really knew her. What others wrote, she called “Lies! Lies! Lies!”
Here, at last, is Marilyn Monroe’s account, in her own singular voice. It was June 1, 1962, her thirty-sixth birthday. Famed photographer and reporter George Barris had come to see Marilyn on the set of what would be her final, unfinished, film. They had met eight years earlier, became friends, and planned to do a picture book and autobiography. Now the time was right. For the next six weeks Barris photographed and interviewed the actress. "Don’t believe anything you read about me except this…" she told Barris. And so she began to confide the truth about herself.
Barris last talked to Marilyn on August 3, less than twenty-four hours before she was found dead in her apartment. At their last meeting, she was effervescent and eager to embrace life. “I feel I’m just getting started,” she said. Barris firmly believes that murder, not suicide, caused Marilyn’s untimely end and he could not bring himself to publish her thoughts or the haunting photos of that summer—until now.
Marilyn: Her Life In Her Own Words is a candid memoir enhanced by 150 black-and-white and color photos, many never before published. A highlight is “The Last Photo Shoot” where Marilyn appears luminous without makeup on the beach at Santa Monica and in a North Hollywood house. This moving book brings Marilyn Monroe back—beautiful, flirtatious, and sweet as a first kiss—for one rare and radiant farewell.
George Barris has worked as a photojournalist for many of the country’s major magazines, from Life to Cosmopolitan. He is the co-author (with Gloria Steinem) of Marilyn-Norma Jean, and contributed to Norman Mailer’s book, Marilyn. He lives in California.
In the closest thing to a Marilyn autobiography, George Barris, who spent the summer of 1962 photographing Monroe for a national magazine feature, recounts his days and nights with the actress, recalling their carefree, unencumbered conversations, and her enthusiastic exuberance for life. The sexy, flirtatious, incredibly beautiful Marilyn Monroe comes alive again in 150 photos, many never before published.
Anonymous
Posted May 2, 2006
Before reading this book, my knowledge of her life has been limited almost one-dimensional, if you will. I've always perceived Ms. Monroe as merely a body that (without trying very hard) exuded a deep sensuality which women tried hard to imitate and men couldn't resist even if they tried but that was all...until I read this book. I realized that she was more than a beautiful face. Marilyn Monroe was passionate, strong, intelligent, accepting, lonely, vulnerable, aware, spirited and funny. Through her voice and photos there was a child-like innocence surrounding her motivating her to be hopeful in life. I am pleased to say that I have a much deeper respect for Ms. Monroe.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 27, 2004
I read ¿Marilyn HER LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS¿ by George Barris. This book really made me feel as if I knew her myself. The book talks a lot about the struggles that she faced and how in the end she came out on top. It didn¿t just focus on her as an actress, model and well-known sex icon but on her as a normal person. George discussed how she was when she was at home, how she treated people and what she wanted in and out of life. The thing that I like the most about this book would have to be the way it was written. It was so well written and thought out that anyone could understand, relate, and get hooked on it. I felt as if I knew her and what she was going through, as if I had gone through the same challenges she had. I never thought that to be in showbiz you would have to work so hard to be successful. I always looked at it as an easy and fun job. In reality, it is just as hard, maybe even harder than any other job. Showbiz is actual hard work and not just fun. What I disliked the most about this book would have to be the fact that they didn¿t talk that much about her career when she was successful. Although there is a list of movie credits and appearances at the end of the book, they really didn¿t get as much into detail about her career as I would of liked to know. The book did talk about her making it and then not making it over again. And then the last time she made it and stayed and that¿s when she began staring in the movies instead of 60 second clips that she was known for before. Not only that but the book also talked a lot about her marriages. I personally didn¿t care to know as much about her marriages as they told and then so little about her career.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 10, 2012
Loved loved the book! Could not put it down till I was done!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Melissa37
Posted October 31, 2011
It's a great read !
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Overview
No one looked like her. No one walked like her. No one talked like her. Sexy yet vulnerable, and unexpectedly talented, she was no ordinary screen goddess. Few really knew her. What others wrote, she called “Lies! Lies! Lies!”
Here, at last, is Marilyn Monroe’s account, in her own singular voice. It was June 1, 1962, her thirty-sixth birthday. Famed photographer and reporter ...