Marilyn Monroe

The Private Life of a Public Icon

By: Charles Casillo

Narrated by: Thérèse Plummer

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Based on new interviews and research, this ground-breaking biography reveals how Marilyn Monroe's childhood contributed to her struggle with bi-polar disorder, and impacted her career and personal life.

Marilyn Monroe. Her beauty still captivates. Her love life still fascinates. 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.

Charles Casillo studies Monroe’s life through the context of her times - in the days before feminism. Before there was adequate treatment for bipolar disorder. Starting with her abusive childhood, this biography exposes how - in spite of her fractured psyche - Marilyn managed to transform each celebrated love affair and each tragedy into another step in her journey towards immortality. Casillo fully explores the last two years of her life, including her involvement with both John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert, and the mystery of her last day.

Just a few of Casillo's revelations:

• Despite reports of their bitter rivalry, Elizabeth Taylor secretly called Marilyn when she was fired from her last film to offer moral and financial support.
• Film of a rumored nude love scene with Clark Gable was said to have been destroyed - but an exclusive interview reveals that it still exists.
• A meticulously detailed account of the events of her last day, revealing how a series of miscommunications and misjudgments contributed to her death.

©2018 Charles Casillo (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“After all I've seen and heard about Marilyn Monroe, this book is a revelation, an earthy, empathic vision of a real woman who happened to be an ethereal goddess.” (Mary Gaitskill, best-selling author of Bad Behavior and The Mare)

“Casillo explores the myriad facets of Monroe’s personality with a respectful but incisive eye...an intricately nuanced portrait of this misunderstood idol.... A worthy addition to the Monroe canon.” (Booklist)

“A well-written examination of the mystique of a woman who still fascinates decades after her untimely death.” (Publishers Weekly)

Well written and read

Marylin’s life was short but shinned. A woman oh her time. Good book, good reading. I recommend it.

Amazing, inspiring, depressing, and awesome all at once.

This was incredibly well written and the narration is superb. I would definitely recommend if you want to learn about Marilyn.

pretty good, not a lot new

the story was well organized and interesting, not a ton of new details I didn't have from general reading. well narrated.

Very good

A strong and sad story. It is a very good book read by a professional. I strongly recommend it.

Highly recommended

Great book! It was well narrated and easy to follow. It gives a great insight not just to Marilyn's life, but those that closely surrounded her.

Simply the best

This is different than other books I have read about Marilyn Monroe. It is intimate in ways the others weren’t. You finish with a much clearer view of her, The narration was perfect.

Just ok

Ok story. Expected more juicy tidbits about Marilyn and the President or even Bobby but I didn’t get. The story needed a better more interesting reader, very bland and boring.

The best Marylin’s bio.

Author is a genious. I’ve read a couple of her bios and this one is the ultimate one. Written with love and compassion not looking for cheap scandal as other ones but not avoiding touchy subjects. Perfect.

LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!

Listened to it at least 3 times in a row the first week I bought it. My daughter did her book report on Marilyn, I I got to listen to it again with my daughter.
Enjoyed it very much!

Pronunciations

Great narration except for the names of famous Hollywood folks being mispronounced. Elia Kazan (eelya) and Leslie Caron(carone), and there’s no need to put on a deeper false baritone when quoting a man’s comments. Otherwise, an exceptional speaking voice that draws the listener in.