Finally, after all these years, a book about Marilyn Monroe written by a woman as beautiful and sensitive as she was! Brava, Ms. Winder! The photo on the cover of Marilyn in NYC is one I have never seen before. The wistful smile on her face says it all. "At last, I'm happy and where I am supposed to be!"
Ms. Winder's writing style is very poetic, creative and visual on every page. You have to remember Marilyn was in her mid-20's at this time. She was in the process of divorcing her beloved Joe D. She never divorced him in her heart, we all know that now. She was angry at her studio and the monsters who ran it. To survive, that ever present instinct she had, she packed up her few belongings and left the West Coast for the East Coast. And, hopefully, a better life.
Famous fashion photographer Milton Greene and his tiny wife Amy welcomed her with open arms into their Connecticut home. She and Milton were going into business together with lofty dreams of starting Marilyn Monroe Productions. An entity she could own to finally give her the roles she longed to play. So long Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, hello Broadway!
This book chronicles her year in Manhattan and the discovery of incredible, brilliant men and women. Lee and Paula Strasberg, Eli Wallach, Norman Rosten and his wife, six young teen boys who waited outside her hotel/apartment daily waiting to run errands for her or just be by her side as he walked through the city alone. There was Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, her new friends at The Actors Studio, anyone and everyone who was famous in New York at the time. Each person giving her a slice of what it was she lacked in her life. She was incredibly needy and greedy.
This is not a tell-all full of gossip from the 50s. This is Marilyn laid bare. Her greasy hair, her dirty clothes, her ever present bottle of Champagne, parties and nights alone reading books. Books, books, and more books! She desperately wanted to make up for her years in foster care and lack of education. And there was, sadly, Arthur Miller, the man I blame for her downward spiral and eventual mental breakdown. But this happens long after the book ends. This is a happy book because this was the year Marilyn Monroe was truly happy on every level. Exploring her talents and creating a future for herself in theatre and film.
This book does not dwell on her emotional issues. I am not sure if she was ever diagnosed with a particular illness. Bi-polar? Something else? You only need to read the chapters to understand the depth of her insecurities. This book is full of kittens and beach parties on Fire Island and finding new families to love and protect her. The book her housekeeper, Lena Pepitone, wrote in 1979 (Marilyn Monroe Confidential) was the saddest and bleakest book ever written about her. Deeply disturbing on many levels. If this book was accurate, Marilyn's mental health had deteriorated to its lowest point in her life. Her daily life with Arthur Miller in their NY apartment was a horror story. To this day it upsets me to think about some of the stories she told about Marilyn. This book is free of psychoanalysis and pharmacological evaluations of her life.
Ms. Winder writes in sweet pastel shades with descriptions so vivid you want to reach over from your book and ask Marilyn to pass the popcorn or pour you another glass of Champagne. You are right there with her on every page. You are standing behind her looking over her shoulder. This is the most human book ever written about her. This is a real gift to the men and women of a certain age (I turn 75 in two weeks) who grew up with her, reading about her every month in Modern Screen and Photoplay magazines. If my mother would have allowed me to bleach my hair blond I would have! I hated my red hair! Alas, she told me when I asked permission, "Honey, there's only room for one blond in this house, and I'm it!" She loved Marilyn, too.
This is the MM book I will keep on my shelf to re-read every time I feel the need to read something uplifting and full of promise. I would love for someone to make a film of this book. Who could do Marilyn justice in the lead role? Jennifer Lawrence comes to mind. Just sayin' in case someone in Hollywood is reading this review. Thank you, Ms. Winder for a glimpse into a young and hopeful Marilyn's life. We have so forgotten she was happy once. She would be delighted with it, I know.
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Reviews with images
No wonder Elle, Vanity Fair, NY Times love this author!!
Saw a great review of this in both Elle and Vanity Fair and took it as a sign. I have to say as a picky reader of dusty classics, Winder's writing actually did not disappoint. In fact, this chick blew me out of the water. So much so I'm actually writing a review, which I hardly ever do.This is a really well researched book and her descriptions are just so rich such as her description of spring coming, "Like a bottle of straight from the freezer--the one you were saving for Sunday but open on Tuesday." I can't help but feel there's a bit of Nabokov in her cadence at times. And the tension, hope, and intermittent self reflection feels so real... it's impossible to not feel like you are there with Marilyn (or are her).This author truly challenged my views of Marilyn. There was so much more to her than I realized. She was troubled at times, yes, but also incredibly brave and a feminist. (I had not realized she had walked away from Fox).I've actually started following this author on social media (beware her moniker is "Eliza" Winder) and she seems about as eccentric and entertaining as her book subject! And I am considering buying her first book based off the New York Times review of it as well...Oh, and one last thing. The actual paper quality and overall make of this book is substantial. I took a pic to illustrate the paper width variation, which I felt made it easier to hold and turn pages. It has some really amazing candid photos in it too that I had never seen before.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2017
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2017
This is a really well researched book and her descriptions are just so rich such as her description of spring coming, "Like a bottle of straight from the freezer--the one you were saving for Sunday but open on Tuesday." I can't help but feel there's a bit of Nabokov in her cadence at times. And the tension, hope, and intermittent self reflection feels so real... it's impossible to not feel like you are there with Marilyn (or are her).
This author truly challenged my views of Marilyn. There was so much more to her than I realized. She was troubled at times, yes, but also incredibly brave and a feminist. (I had not realized she had walked away from Fox).
I've actually started following this author on social media (beware her moniker is "Eliza" Winder) and she seems about as eccentric and entertaining as her book subject! And I am considering buying her first book based off the New York Times review of it as well...
Oh, and one last thing. The actual paper quality and overall make of this book is substantial. I took a pic to illustrate the paper width variation, which I felt made it easier to hold and turn pages. It has some really amazing candid photos in it too that I had never seen before.
No wonder Elle, Vanity Fair, NY Times love this author!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2017
Saw a great review of this in both Elle and Vanity Fair and took it as a sign. I have to say as a picky reader of dusty classics, Winder's writing actually did not disappoint. In fact, this chick blew me out of the water. So much so I'm actually writing a review, which I hardly ever do.Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2017
This is a really well researched book and her descriptions are just so rich such as her description of spring coming, "Like a bottle of straight from the freezer--the one you were saving for Sunday but open on Tuesday." I can't help but feel there's a bit of Nabokov in her cadence at times. And the tension, hope, and intermittent self reflection feels so real... it's impossible to not feel like you are there with Marilyn (or are her).
This author truly challenged my views of Marilyn. There was so much more to her than I realized. She was troubled at times, yes, but also incredibly brave and a feminist. (I had not realized she had walked away from Fox).
I've actually started following this author on social media (beware her moniker is "Eliza" Winder) and she seems about as eccentric and entertaining as her book subject! And I am considering buying her first book based off the New York Times review of it as well...
Oh, and one last thing. The actual paper quality and overall make of this book is substantial. I took a pic to illustrate the paper width variation, which I felt made it easier to hold and turn pages. It has some really amazing candid photos in it too that I had never seen before.
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Top reviews from other countries
LeighS
Fantastic account of Marilyn's time in New York
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2021SIR01
Vergleich Elisabeth Winder und Charles Casillo, beides sehr lesenswerte Bücher über Marilyn
Reviewed in Germany on December 10, 2021