Tuesday, October 12, 2010

The Secret Writings of Marilyn Monroe

9780374158354-1

Hello all!

Here's new book of note: Farrar, Straus and Giroux today released Fragments, a collection of  “poems, intimate notes, and letters” by Marilyn Monroe. The glossy tome is packed with pictures and references to the many books in Monroe’s life. (She loved to read and was often spotted with a book during breaks on film sets.)

Here's a snippet from the publisher: "These bits of text—jotted in notebooks, typed on paper, or written on hotel letterhead—reveal a woman who loved deeply and strove to perfect her craft. They show a Marilyn Monroe unsparing in her analysis of her own life, but also playful, funny, and impossibly charming. The easy grace and deceptive lightness that made her performances so memorable emerge on the page, as does the simmering tragedy that made her last appearances so heartbreaking."


PS: Howard Jacobson won the Booker Prize for the Finkler Question!

9 comments:

Christine Macdonald said...

What a find. Thank you for posting.

Margarita Bloom said...

Yes, thank you! :) Great post.

Tonia said...

I shall have to track this book down over here: how refreshing to find something that dispells the myth of Monroe as nothing but a breathy airhead.

Holly said...

that sounds very interesting! i will have to check with my local library because i would love to take a look!

Anonymous said...

As a teenager I read everything about Marilyn that I could get access to. Now, seeing this book, it might be time to revisit Ms. Monroe!

Anonymous said...

This sounds so interesting! I think I might have to check it out.

Like a Cat said...

I've never been a huge Monroe fan. Sure, she's lovely and her whimsical and bubbly characters are amusing, but I never thought she was a woman we should all admire too greatly. Not personally, anyway. From everything I've read about her, she was a mess, to say the very least. Perhaps the only thing to praise her for is the fact that she's dazzled millions for over half a century and yet never actually loved herself when she was alive. Having said that, I'm interested in reading this book and seeing if the editors have taken these "fragments" of her work, and glorified them, since they are the work of everyone's beloved Marilyn...or, if they have truly uncovered something profound. Regardless, this is a great find, Tina. Between this and Just Kids, I'm really excited to see what other fascinating book suggestions you come up with. So far, I like your interest in non-fiction pop culture. That sort of stuff has always appealed to me.

thelayeredpancake said...

hmmm..i admire marilyn monroe. while she played the typical "air-head" in movies, she seemed such a contrast in her writing and her quotes. so intelligent, succinct and witty.
I went through the article that vanity fair did, but somehow her personal poems and letters should remain just that -personal. (am i being weird?). I feel its slightly disrespectful and unwarranted.

However, I bet the sales of this book would be off the roof, which is just a testament to the enigma and mystery of her person.

Anika http://www.byanika.com said...

thank you for sharing, I have always been facinated with this voulnerable woman with such strengt and soul. thanks for sharing! love your blog, am following you :)

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http://www.sweetfacedstyle.blogspot.com
Twitter: @AnikaSweetface

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