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Goddess: The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

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Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe is an excellent book! After you finish reading this, you feel as though you've been w/ her every step of the way. The author Anthony Summers goes into great detail of her childhood, struggles of becoming famous, her marriages and divorces, her mental breakdown, etc. A little less than half the book is about Marilyn's death. Summers is quick to give us possible causes of the tragic event backed up w/ testimonies, interviews, and police reports. Instead of forcing the THIS IS HOW MARILYN DIED routine on us, he lets us decide for ourselves. MANY MANY MANY people were interviewed for this book, including a lot of Marilyn's friends (and so called friends) One thing this book does prove is that Marilyn was definitely involved sexually w/ both of the Kennedy brothers (JFK and Robert) around the last months of her life. Lots of pictures are included (there is even one of her after her autopsy) and copies of police reports and even some of Marilyn's personal letters!! This book is EXCELLENT, and you will not want to put it down. Marilyn is one of the most interesting people you can read about. So beautiful and talented, but so afraid and fragile...too bad this book is Out of print ~ FIND THIS BOOK: you won't regret it!!

Anthony Summers is a respected British investigative reporter, and he's not afraid to delve into controversial subjects. Among other things, he's written one of the best-researched - and most controversial - books on the JFK assassination ("Conspiracy"). In "Goddess" Summers offers us a thoroughly-researched, extremely well-written account of one of Hollywood's greatest - and most tragic - actresses. The first part of the book takes us through Marilyn's turbulent life and film career. She never knew her father, and her mother suffered from schizophrenia and eventually was sent to a mental hospital - and as a result Marilyn (real name: Norma Jean Baker) constantly feared that she would also suffer a mental breakdown someday. Her life was a series of foster parents, short-lived love affairs that usually ended badly, sexual promiscuity, three (and possibly four, as Summers discovers) marriages, and always the hope on Marilyn's part that she could find the "right man", get married, and settle down to raise a happy family. Of course, that never happened, and Summers writes sympathetically of her unhappy life - and of her brilliant acting career, in which she often drew upon her personal unhappiness for her best performances. The remainder of the book generated considerable controversy when it was published, and it's not hard to see why. Summers argues that Monroe didn't commit suicide but was murdered - a murder which was covered up and made to look like a suicide. He also argues that she was "clearly" involved with the Kennedy brothers in her last days, and that her murder may have been tied to her relationship to them. He even implies that Bobby Kennedy may have been present in her home at the time of her death - a charge which seems fantastic, but Summers has interviewed enough people to prove that there were some strange things going on the night that she died. However, even if you don't believe Summer's murder theories, the first part of the book does offer one of the best, and most sympathetic, biographies of Marilyn's brief but brilliant life ever written. If you could only read one biography of Marilyn, then "Goddess" should be it.

This is a sad, compelling, serious look at the life of a woman who drew the admiration and lust of every man she met, but never overcame a characterological loneliness. There is plenty of passion, sex, sadness, broken hearts, drug abuse, and Hollywood name-dropping for any reader - but the real action is the well researched inference that Marilyn was murdered by a frightened public figure. You have to read this to evaluate that claim!

This is an "exelent" book by Anthony Summers, So well written from beginning to end, this is a book that every Marilyn Fan should have in their bookshelf. You can really appreciate all the time he has devoted in writing "GODDESS." Anthony Summers gives a detailed description of the life and death of Marilyn Monroe. He addresses many sensitive topics that many would not have dare write about, for example the reason why she was murdered, who did it and what was their motive, I love this book exactly for that reason, At last someone dared to discover the truth.

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.

Goddess is one of the best books ever written on Marilyn, and contains some of the most throughly researched information on her death. Summer's book stands as the definative biography about monroe (and there have been many). Summers, unlike many other authors that have attempted to write about monroe (particularly her death), backs up his information with documents and where ever possible the names of his sources. If u only ever read one book about the life and particularly the circumstances surrounding the death of Marilyn Monroe I would recommend Goddess. However for fans of the amazing, facinating and breathtakingly beautiful Monroe, Goddess is a must have, not just as a captivating and informative read but also as a reference, practically every book written on Marilyn Monroe after 1985 uses Goddess as a reference.

There have been countless books inspired by Marilyn Monroe's short and tragic life, but this is, by far, the best. A genuine tour de force. Summers acknowledges that many biographers have already covered Marilyn's lonely childhood experiences, from the orphanage to twelve foster families. He opts to tell the story from Marilyn's adult life, which actually turns out to be at age sixteen, when she was married off to Jim Dougherty, her first husband. Summers focuses less on why Marilyn's popularity was so phenomenal, and wisely chooses to show how empty her success was in terms of her personal life.

Marilyn's alcoholism and pill addiction was partially fed by the studio heads and their doctors, since that was the norm in 1940's and 1950's Hollywood. Her fragile psyche threatened to disintegrate many times during her life, from her marriages to her divorces to her many thwarted attempts to bear children. The difference in "Goddess" is that the reporting is stra! ! ightforward, with 3 or 4 sources backing each statement. Summers does not attempt to glorify or crucify Norma Jean; he simply paints a stark picture of her desperately lonely life.

The very last section of the book, after her divorce from Miller, is the saddest portrait of Marilyn that I've seen in any of her biographies. Even before her entanglement with Jack and Bobby Kennedy, she seemed to be going through the motions of life, without any genuine or lasting enjoyment of it. She appears to have felt "used up" and "finished" at thirty-five, no matter how bright a face she was able to conjure up for her ever-present reporter friends. It was into this period of her life that the Kennedy brothers made their appearance. Summers makes the first serious journalistic attempt to uncover what happened before, during and after both affairs, as well as the true facts about Marilyn's death. It makes for extraordinarily riveting reading.

The only issues I have a! ! re these: I still don't believe Slatzer married Monroe; I t! hink that was a spicy little tidbit to help him sell more books. After all, if you married MM, wouldn't you remember the city and the name of the church, even if it was in Mexico? The 3 people backing up his story are all friends of his. I do believe, however, given Marilyn's need to unload, that Slatzer was a confidante and occasional bed partner. Marilyn was nothing if not eager to prove her desirability and worth, as evidenced by her many affairs. This, perhaps, is the saddest thing about MM: she could never truly find love because she had no confidence that any man would truly love her for herself. Also, her damaging childhood made her too anxious to seek out the love and attention of several men at one time.

The other issue I have is that I am inclined to disbelieve Dr. Greenson's version of the story; it sounds too rehearsed and contrived. "It was just unbelievable, so simple and final and over." My own admittedly unproven theory is that MM had a "fit&q! ! uot; when RFK attempted to break up their relationship earlier that afternoon, and maybe pulled a knife, as Peter Lawford claimed (not that I would put a lot of stake in Peter Lawford's allegations). In any case, either RFK or Peter called Dr. Greenson or MM's OB-GYN, who drove over and gave her a shot to calm her down. However, none of them realized that MM had already given herself an enema consisting of Seconals, Nembutals, etc. Later, when she was semi-comatose, Peter was instructed to go over there to "clean up any evidence or notes", in case of MM's death or any press who got hold of the story. Peter probably called Bobby at some point and told him that MM was dying and needed to get to a hospital. RFK, perhaps out of a drop of compassion, went over to either help Marilyn, or to check for any "evidence" that Lawford missed. As he rode in the ambulance with MM, she died on the way. Everyone was then required to "set up" the scene with Marilyn! ! already in rigor mortis, so RFK could leave by helicopter ! and get back to San Francisco before the body was discovered. The real giveaway was the hand clutching the phone (which couldn't have happened with a barbiturate overdose)--that smacked of a Hollywood script. That might also explain why Eunice Murray, the housekeeper, was doing laundry(!) in the wee hours of the morning by the time the police arrived--she was washing away evidence of an accidental overdose caused by the shot in the early afternoon. As I said, just a theory.

Goddess is often the first book someone curious about MM's life will read. There is good reason for it: Summers does not assume that the reader is familiar with her story. He writes clearly and answers most of the questions that the newly curious about MM are asking. He also takes a close look at the circumstances surrounding her death, and documents his sources well. All in all, I recommend this book to anyone looking to start learning about MM....but I add that I don't think it should be the only bio you read! There are certainly other books out there that take a more sensitive approach to her story. Warning: Goddess contains a photo of MM after the autopsy. If you find this offensive you may want to avoid it.

I devour paranoid alternative history. Mostly, I tend to be attracted to political histories, but, truth be told, Goddess IS a political history. Oh, sure, sure, it brushes past all the misery that was the poor, sad woman's early life. It gets more specific when she started associating with the gods. No one is portrayed in a particularly good light and Marilyn is merely the helpless victim of a harsh, cold, unloving world. Based on Summers' apparent fascination with a period of American history (books on the Kennedy Assassination and J. Edgar Hoover), obviously the bulk of the book is on those shallow, tense three years when Camelot was more than just a drunken Richard Harris forgetting song lyrics. And it truly is a tragedy, a murky underworld of shadow titans who dangle the destinies of the weak-willed and the uncertain minds. Summers is a gifted writer and he's excellent at recreating the atmosphere of Monroe's life. The only problem, really, with this book is that it refuses to answer several of the questions it poses, namely, RFK's possible involvement in the likely murder of Ms. Monroe. Summers seems too involved with not besmirching the golden view he'd previously expressed of the Kennedys in Conspiracy (1980) to even make mention of this theory much beyond saying that some people believe it. Unfortunately , this is a crushing blow to the credibility of the book. Regardless of how outrageous certain claims are, Summers manages to field a good many and back them up with a believe-it-or-not list of interviewees and facts. But by ignoring some of the seamier details of certain opinions, by not addressing them even to disprove, the book finally reads like a Valentine fused indelibly with Kennedy family propaganda. Lance Polin

I read this book back in high school when it first came out in hardcover (I'm really dating myself here). Back then I was a Marilyn Monroe fanatic. Every book, movie, poster, magazine, or collectable I could find, I bought.

I must say that I'm still a huge Marilyn fan and have well over 50 books written about her. To this day, Goddess is still the best written, most profound, well meant, and indepth attempt of portraying her story. If you call yourself a Marilyn fan, then there is no question about it. You must read this book.

Witnesses, documents, and photos (including her heartbreaking autopsy photo) will add to the text and leave you breathless.