The Marilyn book of Marilyn books

Riley Buchanan

The Many Live of Marilyn Monroe by Sarah Churchwell

         Just as the title states this is truly the biography to end all biographies! I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. It's a hard thing to do to write about a woman that has been written about probably thousands of times but Churchwell did it fabulously. This may be because, as she states, “nearly every book begins with the same question: who was the woman that became Marilyn Monroe? But this book asks a different question: who was the woman Marilyn Monroe became?” (10). The book after all is titled “The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe” so I was hoping - and this hope did become true - that the book was going to be a little more philosophical than the average Marilyn Monroe biography.

         I'm only finished with about one fourth of the book but so far it chronicles how Norma Jean became Marilyn Monroe; why it was perfect timing in society for her and her sexuality to take the spotlight; if that sexuality came to her naturally or if she had to constantly work to create this persona; how this persona turned her into more of a brand than a human being; and even a discussion about the worthwhile debate over if she was ever even a good actress in the first place. This is a massive amount of information for a book to cover within only 25% of its pages and I think it's amazing for a biography to dive more into the “why” than just the “who”, which is why I've enjoyed this book so much. A typical biography on the most sexed-up, glamourous, desired, rich, famous, and yet tragic woman would include lists of her movies and boyfriends or husbands and hobbies and public appearances and cultural phenomenons and conspiracies but this was so different. Instead of just being provided with facts or ideas or theories about Marilyn to piece together her life, Churchwell provides analysis that she's made on her own and kind of leaves you to finish the puzzle and draw your own conclusions yourself.

          For example, when discussing Marilyn Monroe’s brand she says “her trademarks are her sexual body, and particularly her half-closed eyes and half-opened mouth” (34), she goes on to say “narcissism (and exhibitionism) make the performance of sexuality natural - to her” (35). She lays out the facts with the first quote and interprets them in the second, I could have taken the facts and interpreted them myself or ran with her interpretation, which I did. I agreed that Marilyn was very naturally sexy but that she played that part up so much on screen and in any photograph that she couldn't just shake it off when she wanted to. I think she associated sex and even glamour so closely to herself that it's all viewers thought of when they saw her, which meant it was all Hollywood would ever want from her. Even if it wasn't all she had to offer, it may as well have been because it was all anyone - audience or production company - would ever want from her again. Isn't that an interesting thought? It's nothing I would ever thought of had Churchwell's ideas not prompted me to do so.

         Drawing these conclusions on my own have been a part of every single theme that Churchwell wrote about in her book so far (which are listed above in the first sentence of the second paragraph) and I've been able to connect all of those conclusions and decide that a kind of “perfect storm” was responsible for turning Marilyn into who - or what - she has become. Some factors of that storm were out of her favor and control and some factors were completely in it if you ask me. I’d dive into more detail on that theory but if I pushed what I believe the real life of Marilyn Monroe to be on you, then I would be ruining the whole purpose of this book.

          I believe this wonderfully written book was created by Churchwell for people who want to read a biography that they have to think about, not just one that tells them the most important dates in a person's life, so that's exactly who I'd recommend it to. If you're the type of person that loves biographies, pop culture, and connecting the dots then you'll love this piece. It doesn't tell you simply who Marilyn Monroe was, because there's hardly a correct answer to that, but it helps you decide who you think she was then, is today, and why that's the case. You don't have to love Marilyn Monroe alone to enjoy this book because although it is obviously all about her, it connects her story to sociology, psychology, sexuality, exploitation and corruption in Hollywood, 1950s American culture, feminism, acting, and obviously fame, both the price people are willing to pay for it and all the baggage it truly comes with (which has never failed to be an interesting thought to ponder).