{"product_id":"9781668098288","title":"Marilyn and Her Books","description":"\u003cb\u003eTimed to the hundredth birthday of Marilyn Monroe, and with the full cooperation of the Monroe estate, comes an investigation into the literary life of the Hollywood icon and actress, from the author of \u003ci\u003eThree-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDorothy Parker in Hollywood\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFar from the spotlights of the Hollywood film sets and the flashbulbs of the press, Marilyn Monroe was a great reader and lover of books. Her association with writers did not stop at reading their words on the page. She was, of course, briefly married to one of America’s best-known playwrights, Arthur Miller, and met a number of other writers who moved in his literary world. But she also met authors independently of Miller, many of whom were fans of her films and keen to meet her.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Through her deep research, Gail Crowther delves into Marilyn’s personal book collection and recounts some of these meetings, like when she shared an apartment with Shelley Winters in West Hollywood, where they entertained Dylan Thomas and Christopher Isherwood for drinks (probably several drinks), after which Monroe arranged for Thomas to meet his childhood hero, Charlie Chaplin. Or when \u003ci\u003eLife \u003c\/i\u003emagazine arranged for Monroe to be interviewed by Dame Edith Sitwell at the Sunset Tower Hotel, and Sitwell was both charmed and blown away by Monroe’s intelligence.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eMarilyn And Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe\u003c\/i\u003e charts the intellectual life of a screen legend, revealing how Monroe, who left high school before graduation, embarked on an impressive and progressive program of self-education, hungry for knowledge and devouring books as an active and engaged reader. Her personal library reflects this inquiring mind.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e In 2026, for her centenary, this book showcases Marilyn Monroe the reader. Because, at the end of her life, it was not her jewels or her furs, shoes, or dresses that she cared about. It was her books.","brand":"Gail Crowther","offers":[{"title":"Gallery Books |  Hardback  |  2026-05-26","offer_id":48468600520959,"sku":"9781668098288","price":42.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0329\/9075\/7001\/files\/BNCImageAPI_9b4bf737-b6eb-4691-a7a8-ba748b021587.jpg?v=1777567304","url":"https:\/\/riverbookshop.com\/products\/9781668098288","provider":"River Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}