Marilyn Monroe: The Private Life of a Public Icon

“This book is a revelation. . . . Casillo’s Marilyn made me feel a level of identification and understanding that was devastating and thrilling.” —Mary Gaitskill, national bestselling author of Bad Behavior and The Mare

Marilyn Monroe: her beauty still captivates, her love life still fascinates, and her story still dominates popular culture. Now, drawing on years of research and dozens of new interviews, this biography cuts through decades of lies and secrets and introduces you to the Marilyn Monroe you always wanted to know: a living, breathing, complex woman, bewitching and maddening, brilliant yet flawed.

Explored through the lens of new interviews and meticulous research, Marilyn Monroe unveils Marilyn’s story against the backdrop of pre-feminist times. Experience her journey from a distressing childhood to the pedestal of stardom, eloquently explaining her pursuit of ambition in the face of a continuous struggle with bipolar disorder. Each phase of her life, marked by celebrated love affairs and heartrending tragedies, is a stepping stone towards immortality.

The tell-all narrative includes eye-opening revelations, from the concealed compassionate act of Elizabeth Taylor towards Marilyn to her lost semi-nude love scene with Clark Gable, and chronicling the few nights before her death with Warren Beatty, where she divulges her despair during their fateful encounter.

“This biography . . . fleshes out the icon, telling Monroe’s tale in great and often harrowing detail and showing how the notorious blond pin-up was smarter and shrewder than most realize, yet just as tragic as we knew.” —New York Post

“A worthy addition to the Monroe canon.” —Booklist

“A well-written examination of the mystique of a woman who still fascinates.” —Publishers Weekly

“A deep dive . . . [Casillo] pays particularly sympathetic attention to her emotional journey . . . a compelling exploration.” —Kirkus Reviews

© 2024 St. Martin's Press (Ebook): 9781250096883

Release date

Ebook: 2 July 2024