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Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe
by Rh Value Publishing
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (1987-10-28)
ISBN: 0517659468
EAN: 9780517659465
Dewy Decimal #: 791.430280924
Hardcover
Release Date: 1987-10-28
SKU: 25246
Condition: New
Comments: THE HARDBACK BOOK! MACMILLAN, 1985. THE UNABRIDGED 1ST EDITION. WITH GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS! HARDCOVER BOOK W/GILT LETTERING, DUST JACKET and pages are NEW! Ships immediately w/FREE tracking, GREAT PACKAGING. To Overseas, will be shipped by AIR MAIL.
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
She was born Norma Jeane but the world knew and loved her as Marilyn. Her life was one of unprecedented fame and private misery, her death a tragedy surrounded by mysteries. Drawing on first-hand interviews Anthony Summers offers both a classic biography and a shockingly revealing account of the screen goddess's relations with John and Robert Kennedy. 'The definitive story of the legend ...more convincing at every page - told with all the coldness of truth and the authority of the historian, but at the end of it we still love Marilyn' Maeve Binchy, Irish Times
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Customer Reviews
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Goddess: bawdy and exploitive, full of contridictions
Rating  (2)
Date: 2008-08-19
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Throughout this biography Mr. Summers displays a palpable yet subtle loathing of Norma Jeane/Marilyn. For example, (p 51 first edition) "....Marilyn used the weapon of her sexuality when she chose...." this statement reveals more about Mr. Summers' misogynistic perspective than anything about Marilyn. Female sexuality as a "weapon"? Weapons are meant to destroy enemies. Women have the right to utilize the power of their sexuality when and how they choose. (Sometimes, regrettably, to their own detriment.) That Mr. Summers even felt the need to make this and other similar statements shows his lack of respect for women and fear of women's sexuality.
The book is full of contradictions. Many times he indicates that Monroe didn't even know the power of her own sexuality; a contradictory picture of the sexually manipulative Marilyn he paints repeatedly as indicated in my first criticism.
It is a very sad fact that the casting couch exists at all. Summers provides an extensive list of Marilyn's of casting couch performances. The only support he provides for these allegations are through third & fourth party quotes purportedly by Marilyn! If anything, it is a horrible shame and twisted value system that required Marilyn/Norma Jeane to attend to the sexual needs of powerful men to achieve any form of success. The incomprehensible charisma she possessed and her unwavering commitment to her art form are ultimately responsible for her enduring legend/success... not "the weapon of her sexuality".
Although well researched, the book is full of hearsay. For example, (p 23 first edition) "....persistent reports from friends suggest Marilyn had numerous abortions..." The only "friend" Summers states as being "..perhaps the most reliable.." was Amy Greene, who said Marilyn had admitted to 12 abortions! Who are all these other "friends"? What was the context of the remarks, and when were they actually made? Who were these "other witnesses"? The many outrageous claims made by Summers are always predicated by "reports from friends" or "some have said", etc., followed by an example of what was said by one or two "friends" to backup his claims.
Marilyn/Norma Jeane suffered from endometriosis, anxiety disorders, depression, and a host of other debilitating conditions. It amazes me that she was able to function at all, let alone become the cultural icon she is. Another incessant theme of Mr. Summers' is that Norma Jeane/Marilyn fabricated stories of rape, sexual abuse, & molestation for attention. This is absurd. As a child, she was at the mercy of the adults entrusted with her care. It is generally undisputed that Marilyn was conflicted, confused, and disturbed to some degree. This is no doubt as a result of the conditions she endured growing up. Children lost in the system are very often assaulted, abused, neglected, and sexually molested. Any adult having survived a childhood of that nature could make similar statements, and no one would doubt the integrity of those statements. Marilyn was seeking validation and solace for the injustices she suffered as a child. Obviously, she was unable to heal these wounds or achieve any degree of real validation. Mr. Summers only attempts to invalidate the very real abuse she survived by questioning the integrity of her statements. Perhaps she needed to talk about it so much because no one wanted to believe her. To believe her would be to acknowledge that the ultimate "sex symbol" of the 20th Century was actually a victim of childhood sexual abuse. To do so would not serve society's need for such an icon. It would grant our icon a very human face. Any biographies on Marilyn Monroe/Norma Jeane should be scrutinized with great intensity. She continues to be exploited and questioned over and over again. In this book, once again, no one is listening to the woman behind the words. He treats her in death as she was treated in life, as his own little cash cow. As a society, we cannot perpetrate cruel interpretations of a real woman, a real adolescent, a real child; be it Marilyn Monroe or any other woman.
Neither DiMaggio or Miller would speak with Summers about Marilyn. These were two of the few men who perhaps came close to knowing the human behind the persona. Miller, of course, exploited Monroe in his own way. But we can respect his choice to refrain from speaking frankly about about Monroe (generally) to the countless biographers (for the most part) who made the request. DiMaggio remained faithful to and protective of her privacy. The memories of his experience with her as a woman ( and more importantly - a human being,) died with him.
Ultimately, our "Icon" so desperately needed to be treated humanely. She was met with resistance every step of the way. This book is just another step away from truly gaining an significant or new insight into the most private spaces of one of the most misunderstood figures in our collective conscious. Fascination cannot be dimmed by dissection and selfish or even unselfish interpretation of the "object" of our fascination. The human, Norma Jeane, has proven this. Ultimately, we will all draw our own conclusion. Obviously, Marilyn Monroe the icon succeeded in linking directly into our unconscious minds. It is the archetype, not the woman, we need to examine... from there, we can gain some insight into understanding how and why this one woman so greatly affected so many people in so many contradictory ways. The secret lies within ourselves, not the continual bawdy exploitative exploration of a single human life. This is not the difinitive biography.
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One of the better books on Monroe!
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-05-21
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
One of the better books on Monroe even after 46 years! THis book still surfaces as the real untold story.
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Goddess is simply the best
Rating  (5)
Date: 2007-12-05
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
this is the best book written about Marilyn Monroe. It goes into great detail. Anthony Summers did a TON of research and its very evident. The only complaint I have about this book is that I DO NOT think he should have included the post autopsy photo of Marilyn. This book is a great read and will keep you interested throughout!
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FIVE STARS FOR ANTHONY SUMMERS!
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-12-28
1 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
WOW! As an avid reader of Marilyn Monroe books I have finally stumbled across the most in-depth and personal account of this truly unique woman. I finished this book in 3 days! It's an absolute page turner and you are sure to discover many things that will shock you. By the end of the book I was emotionally attached to Marilyn. The very last chapters will leave you in desperate longing to help Marilyn, yet in utter frustration with her and everyone in her life. Why such a tragic ending for an immaculate screen goddess? The real tragedy is that she never realized the consequences of her actions. Her lifestyle- non-stop drugs & sexual promiscuity- destroyed any ounce of hope & future that was awaiting her. This book teaches many lessons and unfortunately, the most beautiful woman in the world lost her life in the process. Then there's the question of her death being a murder. - I hope that one day the truth comes out so that dignity and respect can finally be given to woman who was stripped of everything during her lifetime, but her soul. *A Hollywood drama till the very end.*
RIP NJ
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Pulitzer for Research!
Rating (5)
Date: 2005-09-23
9 out of 12 customers found this reveiw helpful
I bought this book after reading the 2005 LA Times story of the police medical examiner who believes Monroe did not kill herself. He believes she was administered a morphine overdose by suppository. Also, the psychiatrist who was very close to Monroe at her death and was criticized for this closeness believed the same theory. In the LA Times article, this book was mentioned as a definitive journal of her life and death. Also, it alluded that the psychiatrist's statements were shared with this author and in this book. Therefore, on that recommendation that this was the definitive Marilyn Monroe book, I felt a need to understand and investigate her life and death.
I was not disappointed. I remain absolutely amazed at the completeness of the research involved in this book. Be forewarned this is not a short read. But it is well worthwhile. He completely documents disagreements in sources and presents clearly his beliefs based upon the research. An important fact from early and mid-life that I had never seen emphasized was exactly how few movies she made at the end of her life, something like only 5 in the last 10 years. In my 52 year lifetime, Marilyn clearly had the most unique combination of sex and innocence that drew people in. It's difficult to describe her appeal. Probably closest would be Pamela Anderson who unfortunately feels the need to wear massive make-up hiding the very attractive wholesome girl she was when initially discovered. Much like Marilyn.
But where this book is at its best is describing the DiMaggio/Miller marriages, the many close friendships late in her life and what they expose about her potential suicide, the Kennedy relationships and ultimately her death. These story lines are so engrossing that it is difficult to put the book away for the night but the book is such a time commitment that it's not the type to be read in a few hours.
I cannot stress how detailed is the research on the last three years of her life including Sinatra, Lawford and the Kennedys. Based upon all the exhaustive research, I still believe this was a suicide. She had tried too many times before and sadly, was totally addicted to narcotics. What is more interesting is her relationship with the Kennedy's. But would they really have been involved in foul play when at that time the press ignored politician affairs? Marilyn's life is a great tragedy and this book does a fabulous job of summarizing. I strongly recommend this book if you have any interest in this icon. Be forewarned. This is not a quick weekend read but well worth the hours spent.
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