Like her art Marilyn Monroe was rooted in paradox: she was a powerful star & a childlike waif; a joyful irreverent party girl with a deeply spiritual side; a superb friend & a narcissist; a dumb blonde & an intellectual. No previous biographer has recognised
- much less attempted to analyse
- most of these aspects of her personality. Lois Banner has. Since Marilyns premature death in August of 1962 the appetite for information about the star has been insatiable. Biographies of Marilyn abound & whether these books are sensational or flawed Marilyns fans have always come out in bestselling numbers. This time with Lois Banners Marilyn the fans wont be disappointed. This is no retread of recycled material. As one of the founders of the field of womens history Banner reveals Marilyn Monroe in the way that only a top-notch historian & biographer could. In researching Marilyn Banners credentials opened doors. She gained access to Marilyn intimates who hadnt spoken to other biographers & to private material unseen ignored or misinterpreted by her predecessors. With new details about Marilyns childhood foster homes her sexual abuse her multiple marriages her affairs & her untimely death at the age of thirty-six Marilyn is at last the nuanced biography Marilyn fans have been waiting for.