Marilyn in Manhattan: Her Year of Joy

by Elizabeth Winder

A city, a movie star, and one magical year.

In November of 1954 a young woman dressed plainly in a white oxford, dark sunglasses and a black pageboy wig boards a midnight flight from Los Angeles to New York. As the plane's engines rev she breathes a sigh of relief, lights a cigarette and slips off her wig revealing a tangle of fluffy blonde curls. Marilyn Monroe was leaving Hollywood behind, and along with it a failed marriage and a frustrating career. She needed a break from the scrutiny and insanity of LA. She needed Manhattan.

In Manhattan, the most famous woman in the world can wander the streets unbothered, spend hours at the Met getting lost in art, and afternoons buried in the stacks of the Strand. Marilyn begins to live a life of the mind in New York; she dates Arthur Miller, dances with Truman Capote and drinks with Carson McCullers. Even though she had never lived there before, in New York, Marilyn is home.

In Marilyn in Manhattan, the iconic blonde bombshell is not only happy, but successful. She breaks her contract with Fox Studios to form her own production company, a groundbreaking move that makes her the highest paid actress in history and revolutionizes the entertainment industry. A true love letter to Marilyn, and a joyous portrait of a city bursting with life and art, Marilyn in Manhattan is a beautifully written, lively look at two American treasures: New York and Marilyn Monroe, and sheds new light on one of our most enduring icons.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, New York, Biography Memoir, Media Tie In, Womens

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 14, 2017

About the author

Elizabeth Winder is also the author of a poetry collection. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Review, the Antioch Review, American Letters, and other publications. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and earned an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of books about the life and death Marilyn Monroe. Those books usually focus on her terrible childhood, her time spent on the Hollywood casting couch, her many many failed relationships and her drug addiction. Those books usually paint a bleak portrait of a depressing life. Not to mention those books usually try to solve the mystery of how she died.

Was it suicide?

Was it murder?

Was it an accident?

That's why I was so happy when I heard about this book. Marilyn in Manhattan isn't about her sad end its a snapshot of a time in which Marilyn, according to the people who knew her was the most happy and at peace time in her life. In November of 1954 Marilyn Monroe ran away from Hollywood, leaving behind an unsatisfying career and broken marriage. She would spend the next 14 months in New York, building the life and career she wanted. Reading this book made me wonder what would have happened had Marilyn stayed in NY instead of marrying and divorcing Arthur Miller and returning to LA. I came to the conclusion that leaving NY may have been Marilyn's fatal mistake.

Marilyn in Manhattan reads more like a novel than a biography. This book is a love letter to Marilyn and to 1950's New York. Despite the fact that this book covers a happy carefree time in the life of Marilyn Monroe, I couldn't help but feel sad knowing that in just 7 years this vibrant happy woman who was so full of life would die naked and alone in her Hollywood home.

Marilyn in Manhattan is poignant tribute to an American icon who was taking from this world too soon.

A must read for Marilyn Monroe fans and fans of Old Hollywood

Around the Year in 52 Books: A book with a location in the title.

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading biographies, especially about famous people that I know very little about. When this book crossed my path I eagerly wanted to read it.

This book starts off when Marilyn leaves Hollywood and everything else behind her. She had a failed marriage and an acting career, where she wasn't being taken seriously and was not offered the type of jobs she wanted. She needed a new scene and different friends. She needed Manhattan.

In Manhattan, she was able to go to the Met, appreciate art, and read for hours. She wasn't as recognizable in the city and was finally able to do what she wanted. She ends up breaking her contract with Fox Studios and creates her own production company. This is when she becomes extremely successful and doesn't need to rely on the sexist company that previously owned her.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 5 out of 5]

What could go wrong with 2 of my favorite things? Marilyn Monroe and NYC? Elizabeth Winder author of the wonderful Pain and parties in New York (about another favorite of mine Sylvia Plath) takes a year that Marilyn spent with photographer Milton Greene and wife Amy. Winder is a real talent in taking you in with the sights, sense and ambivance of a city. Like taking a time machine back to the past, Winder almost makes NYC a character. This is the year Marilyn spent in New York before her ill fated marriage to Arthur Miller.

[Lorri Steinbacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely and heartbreaking portrait of a curious, passionate, and smart woman who was trying so hard for people to really see her. It's evident in this book that it might have been otherwise for Marilyn and the year that she spent in Manhattan may have been the closest she came to authenticity joy. It would be easy to write MM off as a childish, emotionally stunted, damaged woman (even if at times she is all of those things). Winder does not let the reader do that. She gives us MM's flaws, but merely as part of her greater complexity, which I think is often ignored in favor of the more dramatic mythos that has accumulated around her story.

Winder's prose is lovely and she captures an intimacy and immediacy that draws you in. Winder also wrote Pain, Parties, Work about Sylvia Plath's Manhattan summer and she is able to capture the combination of drive and vulnerability and confusion that doomed many an ambitious woman in the 50's & 60's.

Highly recommend.

[Kressel Housman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amid worldwide protests against police brutality, with American cities looking worse every night, it feels a bit trivial to be writing about the iconic Marilyn Monroe, but the fact is, I was glued to this book, and I’ve been looking forward to reviewing it. More than that, I think Norma Jean’s life has a lot to teach about the experience of prejudice. Granted, she didn’t face the lethal kind that killed George Floyd and other victims of police brutality, but she was typecast and underestimated, and she suffered for it all her life.

The book covers the fourteen months in which Marilyn bucked her studio contract and left Hollywood for New York so she could study the Stanislavski method at the Actor’s Studio. It was a year of defiance, creativity, and growth, which makes it an inspiring story, except she’d lapse into insecurity and alcohol abuse, so tragically, she couldn’t maintain it. Because the book covers such a short period, it’s worthwhile to go into it with some knowledge of her full biography. The podcast “You Must Remember This” helped me. It devoted several episodes to her life story. The movie “My Week with Marilyn” also provides good background. The personal story within the movie might be fictionalized, but I trust Hollywood to accurately record film history. The backdrop is the filming of “The Prince and the Showgirl” with Sir Laurence Olivier, which figures in at the end of this book. What "My Week with Marilyn" failed to mention is that Marilyn Monroe produced the movie herself.

The book portrays Marilyn as far more intellectual than most people gave her credit for. Though she had a poor education in her early years, having been a ward of the state in and out of orphanages and foster homes, she became an autodidact, reading voraciously to make up for what she missed. She loved Dostoevsky, Joyce, Freudian psychology, biographies of iconoclastic women, and even dabbled in Einstein’s theories. She was also a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, and the book includes an anecdote about her participation in a publicity event held in his honor in some small town in Illinois. In keeping with her “dumb blonde” image, she brought along an illustrated children’s biography for her presentation, but she was actually reading something much more substantive to inform her speech.

And that is the tragic irony of Marilyn Monroe. She had to play the part of the dumb blonde to reach stardom, but when she was ready to take the next step of becoming a serious actress, too many people simply couldn’t accept it. Lee and Paula Strasberg of the Actors’ Studio believed she had great talent, whereas Billy Wilder, who directed her in some of her better roles, believed she was more than a dumb blonde, but still thought she shouldn’t reach too high. When Sir Laurence Olivier was willing to work with her, she thought she had reached the peak. Getting her own choice of directors was one of her main goals in her contract war. So it was a crushing disappointment to discover that just like most of Hollywood, all Olivier wanted was the same old sexpot.

The book convinced me that Marilyn was very smart, but like so many artists, her intelligence was of an unconventional, off-beat sort. She could delve into a character with the depth that the Method teaches, but sustaining that kind of energy, emotion, and concentration doesn’t leave a whole lot of brain space for practical living. She was notoriously late for appointments and filming, sloppy in her housekeeping, and could barely cook for herself. She lived in the dreamy world of an artist, so she was spacey. But spacey doesn't equal stupid, even though it's often perceived that way.
I never considered myself a particular fan of Marilyn Monroe, but that's changed now that I’ve read this book. I relate to her both as a woman and an artist. Many of us plain women appreciate her life story because it proves that beauty doesn't lead to love and happiness, but it's really her disciplined approach to her craft that I admire most. I’m a writer, not an actress, but I know that I turn into a total space cadet when my writing is going well. That is why the biographer’s observation that artists function in a “dream world” spoke to me so much.

Another similarity I share with her is my babyish voice. I’d say that was half her problem. The voice was part of the dumb blonde act. It wasn’t just the tight-fitting clothes. I’m sure it’s half the reason people don’t take me seriously. (The other is that I’m Ultra-Orthodox.) So every time Marilyn gave some cold retort to someone for talking to her like she was an idiot, I cheered.
But best of all was knowing that Marilyn was a bookworm like us Goodreaders! She preferred staying home and reading to going to parties. She also kept journals, which I intend to read someday. Well, all good actresses care about literature and storytelling. She studied art history, too, to gain an understanding of the visual aesthetics to apply to her film image.

Many would describe this as a book about a pivotal year in Norma Jean’s life, which it is, but I say it’s more than that. It’s a glimpse into her creative process at its peak. I’d go so far as to call it an intellectual history of Marilyn Monroe. So if you like Hollywood history, or if you’re a female artist yourself, I highly recommend this book. I haven’t read that much about Marilyn Monroe, but I daresay this biography is something unique.

[Bloodorange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pod koniec 1954 roku, po rozpadzie krótkiego małżeństwa z Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn uciekła z Los Angeles do reprezentującego artystyczny ferment Nowego Jorku, by zmienić środowisko i popracować nad warsztatem aktorskim. Niezadowolona z pracy dla 20th Century Fox, zdecydowała się odejść z wytwórni i założyć własną niezależną firmę, Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP). W 1955 roku zapisała się do nowojorskiego Actors Studio Lee Strasberga.

„Marilyn na Manhattanie”, monografię tego kluczowego roku z życia Marilyn, czytałam z dużą przyjemnością; jest lekko napisana przy jednoczesnym podawaniu dużej ilości informacji, i dobrze przetłumaczona; nie spekuluje na temat uczuć opisywanych osób, ale przenosi nas w inne miejsce i czas; przedstawia Marilyn od strony prywatnej w sposób, który nie jest chyba szczególnie popularny, pokazując jej racjonalną stronę i uwalniając od piętna tragizmu. (Przynajmniej częściowo; książka robi się zauważalnie bardziej mroczna, gdy na scenę wkracza Arthur Miller, jej przyszły mąż.) Pozwala nam też pomyśleć o tym, kim stałaby się, gdyby nie opuściła wspierającego, kreatywnego kokonu, który otaczał ją w Nowym Jorku.

Szczególnie zaciekawiły mnie dwa wątki: opis pracy Marilyn oraz Amy i Miltona Greene'ów (Milton Greene, znany fotograf, był przyjacielem, powiernikiem i wspólnikiem Marilyn, Amy jego żoną) nad nowym, korzystniejszym dla gwiazdy wizerunkiem, który będzie ją określać przez resztę życia, oraz to, że Winder wielokrotnie podkreśla fakt awangardowości Marilyn – od jej niesztampowego, nerwowego zachowania, którym, jak twierdzi, przecierała drogę gwiazdom francuskiej Nowej Fali, po wyłamywanie się z konwencji patrzenia na kobietę jak na pięknie wykończony przedmiot.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis describes this as not only a love letter to Marilyn Monroe, but to New York City ~ and that is absolutely spot on. New York City is the place she was happiest, and felt most at home, most welcomed, and most herself. There are an extraordinary amount of celebrities mentioned, and clearly Marilyn ran in some very celebrated circles. I do think this book paints her with more realness and complexity, and allows us to see her beyond sensationalism and tabloid like depiction. But the sheer amount of ensconce into the celebrity world felt over the top and unreal. Despite the fact that I believe it. But it did display New York with its vibrancy, excitement, and possibility. A place where dreams are possible. Where one can remake themselves. And can create a feeling of home, if you fall into the right circles.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who isn't obsessed with Marilyn? Gone way before her time. I've read a lot of stuff about Marilyn, but I had no idea that she had spent almost a year in New York during a disagreement with her studio. She was tired of the sex kitten roles and she wanted to be an actress. Which is where she started her allegiance with the Strasbergs along with some other pretty famous people.

She also hung out with Capote, the rat pack, met her second husband, Arthur Miller (ugh, dullsville) and had a crush on Milton Berle (double ugh). She loved New York because she wasn't hounded by the paparazzi and could literally go anywhere she wanted. She even started her own movie production company with the help of a friend.

It was interesting to read how when the studio did decide to work with her and she went back to LA and filmed Bus Stop, how the director worked with her. And then how her next film, The Prince and The Showgirl, directed by Laurence Olivier, who didn't have time to let her get into character, was so different.

I think the author did a great job with the book and I now have a lot more trivia in my head to use on those NTN boxes or even when watching Jeopardy at home.

Thanks to Flatiron Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Spence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to get through, though not for the reasons one may suspect. I appreciate any biography that humanizes Marilyn Monroe and speaks of her as a person rather than an object, but Winder humanizes her to the point of near-infantilization; at best she comes off as a parasocial fan but at worst it sounds like she views herself as a proud mother-figure. Further, and this is more strange than anything, Winder compares MM to animals a lot. I don't have anything else to say about it; I just found it strange.

Otherwise, my biggest complaints:
a.) Winder talks extensively about Monroe's various photoshoots and even goes so far as describing in great detail very specific photos that a photographer, fans, or even Marilyn herself were particularly found of, but she does not include any of these pictures in the book.
b.) Windor talks exhaustively about Marilyn's clothes. I don't need to know every article of clothing in this woman's closet—that is not why I picked this up.

[wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biography about the most important and to the author the happiest years of Ms. Monroe's life. This is the year that she breaks away from Fox studio where she has been typecast into "dumb" blonde roles. She wants badly to be taken seriously for her acting. She moves from Hollywood to New York and goes to a premiere acting school in town. She meets supportive people who become her close friends. Ultimately she does get some serious roles and breaks away from Fox. But, then her personal life unravels because of her troubled relationship with her second husband the play write Arthur Miller. A very interesting read.

[S.E. Martens · Rating 3 out of 5]

She tried so hard to be seen as a "legitimate" actor, to take control of her career and image, and to grow as a person.

It's heartbreaking, because if you read this knowing anything about Marilyn, you know it ends in tragedy. But for one brief moment in time she escaped the Hollywood studio machine and found herself in New York City with friends, taking acting classes, and getting therapy. She even teamed up with a friend, the photographer Milton Greene, to open their own independent production company.

"I am still learning. I am still seeking. I believe human nature is a dynamic thing, and a person should never stop growing and changing. ... I want to learn so badly. I read and study as much as I can, because I want to grow as a person." (p. 137)

Raised in an orphanage and foster care, she seemed to spend a lot of time searching for the loving family life she never got to experience as a child. To read these accounts, Marilyn became almost a second daughter to the Strasbergs, and then did something similar with the Rostens and the Wallachs, befriending entire families.

This book also covers the beginnings of her relationship with author/playwright Arthur Miller, whom Winder paints as rather dour and unlikeable, the self-serious buzzkill to the more warm and playful relationships she was cultivating. Miller also seems to be largely responsible for the dissolution of her friendship (and professional partnership) with Greene.

Marilyn in Manhattan is a fascinating snapshot, though at times a tad dry and repetitive. I can only read so much about the mingling of 1950s Hollywood types at parties and photoshoots. It does make one wonder "what if . . . ?" What if she had stayed in New York? What if she hadn't married Miller? Alas, we'll never know.

[Elizabeth Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely recommend! She understands Marilyn’s intelligence, creativity, playfulness, and like all artists her vibrant messiness. She read and understood the players in Marilyn’s life and who encouraged her to be her true best self and who was harmful

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the first I've read about the life of Marilyn Monroe and I loved it. In this book Marilyn's year of living in New York really seems to have been the best time of her life. She loved the social life and makes friends everywhere she goes. Marilyn is supported by the Greene and Strasberg families but she becomes independent both as a person and actress during this time. Marilyn Monroe is known for being one of the most beautiful actresses but this book shows there is so much more to the glamorous icon. She was intelligent and I really admire her for working so hard to be a serious actress. Her relationships with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller were also an interesting part of her time in New York. I enjoyed getting to know more about Marilyn Monroe like how she loved to read and was an admirer of Abraham Lincoln. This was such a great book about the fascinating life of Marilyn Monroe in the city that she loved. I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to Flatiron Books Goodreads giveaway.

[Miranda Vilar Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the beginning, I felt pumped about reading this book. I was excited to dive into what promised to be a revelatory account of Marilyn Monroe's time in Manhattan. I feel this book suffers from two things. First, Monroe's wardrobe is described down to the last detail. There are few pictures in the book highlighting this aspect. In addition, there are books concerning Monroe's style. As a reader, I would have appreciated more psychological insight. Winder also has a strange habit of referring to Monroe's skin a lot. It struck me as really odd. Second, Winder relies heavily upon the reminiscences of Amy Greene. This provides less room for other perspectives. However, I find Monroe's relationship with the Norman Rostens even more fascinating. Although the subtitle refers to joy, there was also drama. This is seen in Monroe's fight to be taken seriously as an actress and her personal life. Overall, I am not quite sure what to make of it.

[Sian Lile-Pastore · Rating 4 out of 5]

a delightful book that is a pleasure to read. shows marilyn as someone who contained multitudes - fashion and hair styling along with books, creativity and trying to be respected as an artist.

[Taryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

elizabeth winder remains one of my fave biographers. she knows how to write for the girls

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was joy to read about a happy hopeful time in the life of the fragile Marylin Monroe. It was eye opening to learn about the complex layers of her character and to understand the amount of pressure the studios placed on her and what they wanted her to be.

[Victoria]

the next (3rd?) of the library casualties

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

From autumn 1954 to spring 1956, Marilyn escaped the plastic tawdriness of Hollywood which seemed to be consuming her to make a buck while not allowing her to move beyond the image of a ditzy blonde sexpot. In New York City she found friends who appreciated her dreams and potential, and she took acting classes with Marlin Brando, Paul Newman, and other young and rising actors. There are pictures at the beginning of each chapter and it's worth googling photos taken by her friend Milton Greene and by the great Cecil Beaton to see how much younger and more beautiful she looks with less makeup and tousled hair. Right after this period, she made her best movie, Bus Stop, but Hollywood soon dragged her under again, destroying her fragile confidence, and six years later she was gone. This is a lovely period of her life to read about, and I think I'll remember her here.

[Bert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Winder is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Earlier this year I read her book about Sylvia Plath, Pain Parties Work, and I adored it. When I saw that she had written a new book about another one of my favourite women, the one and only Marilyn Monroe, I knew I had to read it. It says a lot about Marilyn’s appeal that 60 years later she’s still famous and still adored.

I’ve read many biographies about Marilyn, one common thing I see biographers focus on is the sadness that constantly seemed to surround her. There’s no denying that Marilyn suffered from great hardships in life and was deep down a very sad and lonely person, but it was so nice to see Winder focus on one of the lesser known, lesser written about, lesser celebrated but ultimately happier times in her life. Her year in New York, away from the savagery of Hollywood, truly was her year of joy as the subtitle says, she lived by herself, for herself, and found that she rather liked that way of life.

I really love the way Winder writes, it’s very entertaining, the way she puts the sentences together is always very fun and it’s nice to read. One thing that really bugged me though, and it seemed to be a running thing through the book, was how whenever she was comparing Marilyn to other movie-stars of the time such as Audrey Hepburn, Shelley Winters, Joan Crawford etc, it seemed as though she’d put down the other actresses. Describing them in a way that was different to Marilyn is fine but there’s no need to downgrade the appeal of other actresses of the time, I’m a big Joan Crawford fan so when I read that little dig at Joan I turned red. It’s only a very minor complaint though, the book is a real gem and I suggest all Marilyn fans give it a read.

I think if Marilyn were to look at all of the books written about her over the years, this would be the one that she’d like the most. Just like Marilyn, it’s gorgeous!!

[Amy Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. There are so many things I can say about this book that I just don't have time to write them all down. So in order to shorten it up a little bit I will just say that this book was one of the best portraits of Marilyn Monroe that I have ever read. She has always been someone that I've admired and this book shows so much of her inner beauty, courage, intelligence and her ability to inspire and surprise so many.

Many parts of this book contained new information for me, which I loved because I have never really read in-depth about the year that she spent in New York. It is so heartbreaking to me that only after her death are people willing to really see all that this woman had to offer. I enjoyed reading this book because it also showed many of the people that you don't often hear about that she bonded with over this period that were her true champions even after she returned to Hollywood.

Fellow actress Maureen Stapleton said of Marilyn "This was a girl who had nothing but the great gem that she was, and everyone got to hold and fondle that gem, and then put it back when they were done with it." This quote to me says so many things about Marilyn's life and the many things she endured just to survive.

The only thing that I wish was added to this book would be more pictures of her during this time. I can't wait for this to come out so that I can buy a copy for my bookshelf!

[Sarah Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, frothy read that challenges Marilyn Monroe's sex kitten stereotype by delving into her year of artistic soul searching. Despite her many flirtations and sloppy personal habits, Marilyn is a secret intellectual, devouring Russian literature and studying at the Actor's Studio. Still reeling from the impact of an abusive childhood, she is tenderhearted and constantly in need of mentors and protective friends. This is a fascinating snapshot of how movers and shakers crossed paths in mid-century Manhattan.

Despite the rotating slate of characters, the author makes sure you don't get lost in the shuffle. The handy cast list at the beginning was a welcome help. I only wish there had been more wayfinding, like a map of significant locations. The narrative also cries out for more images, since it relies so much on descriptions of Maryiln's appearance, particularly her photoshoots. Instead we get shoutouts to lipstick shades and an endless parade of dairy analogies for Marilyn's complexion. I suspect that the cost of image rights were a major factor, but it would have been nice to see examples of Milton Greene's work.

[Leesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She stretched out in her bathrobe on the floor of the Waldorf-Astoria, scrawling poems on crisp hotel stationery."

"With Wuthering Heights meets Jean Harlow hair."

"She looked like a blonde peach."

"crates of unopened Chanel No 5, and"

"Pert shoulders framed her face like two downy light bulbs."

("He was on her 'men to sleep with' list—and why not—with his three-piece suits and cigars, all Havana and cowboy leather.")

"She dated Marlon Brando. She had pillow fights with Truman Capote. She drank gin @ the Subway Inn with Sinatra,"

"If you met her in the powder room of the Copa she'd probably lend you her lipstick."

"She'd sleep past noon, order grapefruit juice, soak in an ice bath spiked with Chanel."

I'LL STOP NOW BUT I WANT TO EAT THIS BOOK. WINDER'S WORDS ARE DELICIOUS. I've always loved Marilyn and I've always been v protective of Marilyn. This is a beautiful book, every sentence is a treat and it's intimate and sad and radiantly gorgeous. Apropos. Hotels and fluffy white bathrobes and Chanel No 5 and champagne and dashing men and city lights and the silver screen and so many realized and broken dreams, big and small.

[Kristen Dutkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a little bit of time on my lunch break each day to step back in time and read about Marilyn Monroe's (forgotten) year in New York. After spending years playing the blond bombshell in typically over the top roles, she set off to New York to find herself, and while surrounded by good friends, she did!

Elizabeth Winder did a lovely job illustrating a portrait of one of my favorite former stars, and Miss Monroe would smile had she been given the opportunity to read this piece of literature. She is painted in a beautiful light, and I thoroughly enjoyed the small notes that only close friends would know of her in those days.

Unfortunately, all fairy tales end, and so did Marilyn's, as it is succinctly and appropriately addressed at the end of this book. However, her journey in New York, was nothing short of a life-changing and memorable experience. And I'll miss my lunch breaks, reading something new about Marilyn everyday.

[niepoczytalna .pl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wielkie nadzieje w oparach barbituranów

"Marilyn na Manhattanie. Najradośniejszy rok życia" to z pewnością jedna z najpiękniej wydanych biografii ostatnich lat – wysmakowana kolorystyka, fotografie z klasą. Niemal na każdej stronie wyczuwalna jest fascynacja autorki ikoną kina, czy jednak to oczarowanie nie wpłynęło na obiektywizm Winder? Czy zgodnie z tytułem, rok spędzony w Nowym Jorku rzeczywiście był dla Marilyn szczęśliwy?

Z Marilyn Monroe spotykamy się w momencie, w którym postanawia odmienić swoje życie – opuszcza Hollywood, tym samym rozpoczynając wojnę z wytwórnią FOX, rozprawia się ze swoim małżeństwem i rzuca w objęcia nowojorskiej bohemy artystycznej. Aktorka postrzegana do tej pory jako właścicielka ślicznej buźki, blond czupryny i niezbyt lotnego umysłu, postanowiła walczyć z krzywdzącą opinią na swój temat oraz wytwórnią, która ignorowała jej potrzebę artystycznej realizacji i traktowała jak lalkę do zarabiania pieniędzy. Wraz z przeprowadzką do Nowego Jorku Marilyn rozpoczyna walkę o wizerunek i możliwość decydowania o swojej karierze. Przemiana wewnętrzna, odzyskanie pewności siebie, rozpoczęcie psychoanalizy i uczestnictwo w zajęciach Actors Studio, znalazły też przełożenie w jej wyglądzie, gdy odrzuciła wyzywające stroje i makijaże na rzecz kreacji, które oddawały stan wyzwolenia. Nowa Marilyn – świeża, roześmiana, otoczona gromadą oddanych przyjaciół, ale czy to na pewno cała prawda?

Choć Winder bardzo chciała ukazać od jak najlepszej strony walkę Monroe oraz jej pobyt w Nowym Jorku, który miał okazać się oczyszczającym przeżyciem, sama niechętnie przyznała, wtrącając niby przypadkiem, że choć w życiu aktorki wszystko zaczęło układać się po jej myśli, ta zażywała coraz więcej leków uspokajających, które zapijała morzem alkoholu. Pogłębiające się uzależnienie nie potwierdza nowojorskiej sielanki.

Przez całą lekturę, choć była ona naprawdę przyjemna, coś jednak mi w niej zgrzytało i nie do końca sama wiedziałam, co mi nie pasuje. Po dłuższym zastanowieniu doszłam do wniosku, że autorka przesadziła, nieustannie zachwycając się każdą rzeczą, która dotyczyła Marilyn – cerą, rozczochranymi włosami, niechlujnym strojem, nieładem. Bałagan, w którym żyła, był artystyczny (oczywiście!), a cokolwiek na siebie narzuciła, zawsze wyglądała olśniewająco. Winder była tak bardzo zafascynowana wyglądem Marilyn, najwyraźniej zapominając o tym, że ta druga postanowiła walczyć z postrzeganiem jej tylko przez pryzmat wyglądu i seksapilu. Choć zamiast ikony kina mieliśmy zobaczyć wrażliwą i uczuciową kobietę, która walczy o siebie, autorka dokonała jej odczłowieczenia poprzez nieustanne zachwyty. Trzeba jednak przyznać, że Widner ma nieprawdopodobną zdolność tworzenia opisów, które poruszają wszystkie zmysły. Gdy pisze o zapachach, możemy poczuć aromat kosmetyków, dymu papierosowego i Chanel No.5, opisując cerę Marilyn, niemalże widzimy wewnętrzny blask, który ją rozświetla, podobnie jest z opisami ubrań, czy gwaru nowojorskich knajp. Opisy nie są obszerne (i dobrze, bo takich nie znoszę), lecz zawsze napisane plastycznie, trafiają w sedno.

"Marilyn na Manhattanie. Najradośniejszy rok życia" jest wciągającą lekturą, którą czyta się jednym tchem. Nie jest to może najrzetelniejsza biografia, brakuje w niej również emocjonalnego zdystansowania się autorki, nie zmienia to jednak faktu, że styl Winder jest bardzo przyjemny w odbiorze, a oparcie biografii na zaledwie jednym roku dodaje książce oryginalności. W moim odczuciu nie był to jednak czas radości i szczęścia (co potwierdzają liczne załamania aktorki oraz zwiększanie dawek leków uspokajających). Nie mam jednak wątpliwości, że czas spędzony na Manhattanie, pozwolił Marilyn odetchnąć od hollywoodzkiego blichtru i rozwinąć artystyczne skrzydła. Pomimo skłonności autodestrukcyjnych, zawalczyła o siebie, co jest najbardziej inspirującym elementem tej biografii. Dobrze, że oprócz zachwytów nad oczywistą urodą Monroe, w książce nie zabrakło miejsca poświęconego jej wnętrzu, wrażliwości i duchowemu rozwojowi.

[Silvio111 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was alerted to this book by Kressel's excellent review (see below). I only give it 4 stars because of some style issues I had with the author, but it is a well-researched and empassioned account of this one pivotal year in Marilyn Monroe's life and career.

It is dazzling to observe the transition she made from her life as a miserable Hollywood puppet of Fox studios to an independent, socially vibrant, hard-working and inspired actress.

However, I had two problems with this book. The first, as I mentioned earlier, was the author's compulsively descriptive manner of relating each event in Marilyn's year. (More in a minute on this.)

The second was the basis that enabled this year: her friend Milton Greene -- photographer, creative soul mate, and loyal friend -- bankrolled her entire life. He paid for her rent, her clothes, her social forays into nightclubs, restaurants, and bars which enabled her to hob nob with all her new actor/writer/personality friends in New York. She drank Champagne endlessly, bought expensive clothes and shoes, and he made it all possible, apparently not trying to limit her in any way.

Yes, they formed a production company together (which he invested in), and yes, he produced thousands of classic photographs of her which presumably earned him some money and bolstered her image as they prepared for her new phase of a film career.

But Marilyn did not appear to take any responsibility for any of this, except for the part about studying method acting with Lee Strasburg, reading extensively, and developing herself as a person. So I suppose you might consider Milton's support of her to be a sort of precursor of the MacArthur fellowship where they confer support upon a genius and give complete freedom to that artist to use the time and money to their own best judgment.

Back to Point #1. Elizabeth Winder seems to have inhaled every memoir about Marilyn as well as every photo of Marilyn during this period. (There is a sizable bibliography, but sadly, no Index. What's that about?)

When describing any particular moment in Marilyn's day or night, the author lists every tube of makeup scattered on the dresser; ever designer garment tossed on the floor, every kind of candy or food being consumed at a beach picnic. It gets a bit exhausting. She also flings around brand names without explaining what garment or object they refer to. It all comes off as a bit precious. My biggest cringe was when she would describe Marilyn "cabbing it" across Manhattan. Really? Is there a problem with just saying, "took a taxi"?

The other fetish this author just could not let go of was describing Marilyn's flesh. Her baby face, the peach-like color of her skin, the way her dresses fit...it was all a bit too much. It reminded me of that scene in the movie, LOVE ACTUALLY, where Keira Knightley's groom's best friend makes the wedding video, and when she finally gets to see it, she notices that he only zeroed in on her. He was obsessed.

I think the book might have benefited from an editor telling her, "Elizabeth, just take a breath and calm down. Weed out some of this wreckage and just tell us what happened. We don't need to hear the name of every damn cosmetic she ever used..."

Having said all that, I do agree with Kressel that the insight this gives into the character of Marilyn Monroe is quite impressive and inspiring. She may have had the "artistic temperament," and been spacey, dependent, and insecure, but she truly did have an artist's soul and she cared so much about what she was trying to achieve.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember when I first heard of Marilyn Monroe, but I do remember the first time I saw her: I was 14, my dad was watching Some Like It Hot on TV one Sunday afternoon, and when Marilyn came onscreen I was immediately transfixed. What I still think about to this day is how she seemed to glow, as if she were some elfin entity from another world.

Naturally, I became obsessed, and in the mid-'80s that meant scouring the weekly TV guide for late-night showings of her movies on the local channels so that I could videotape them and searching the library and used bookstores for biographies. Within months I came to know quite a bit about Marilyn's life, and that initial thrill of seeing her onscreen for the first time had been tempered by a mournfulness that limned her short, mostly unhappy life.

An absent father, an institutionalized mother, sexually abused in foster homes and an orphanage, married at 16 (and divorced shortly thereafter--but followed by two more high-profile marriages with physically and mentally abusive men), her first break came when she was "discovered" by a pin-up photographer while she was working in a factory in World War II, which in turn led to film contracts with Columbia Pictures and 20th Century Fox. But her time at Fox was not the Cinderella story one might assume: she was mistreated by the studio heads, her directors, her costars, the film crews, the Hollywood press, and just about everyone else (as were most other movie actors of the time, to be fair--especially female ones). She tried hard to change her image from voluptuous bimbo to serious actor, but in the 1950s that was an uphill--and mostly unwinnable--battle.

She made a few excellent movies (Bus Stop and Some Like It Hot), a handful of OK movies (The Seven Year Itch and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), and a lot of not-so-great movies (Let's Make Love, Niagara, How to Marry a Millionaire), all of which she had little control over. Through all this she struggled with serious medical issues, as well as mental health issues and substance abuse. She died at the young age of 36.

So I very much enjoyed Elizabeth Winder's biography, which focuses on Marilyn's mostly happy year living in New York City in 1955. At last she had found a kindred spirit in Milton Green, a photographer with whom she started Marilyn Monroe Productions in an effort to get out from under Fox's oppressive thumb. She lived with Milton and his family in their Connecticut home for a while, then moved to Manhattan where she began taking acting classes with Lee Strasberg. Living on the other side of the country, away from all that Hollywood bullshit, Marilyn did find some happiness.

Winder does a good job of recounting these happy times. The book is filled with anecdotes of Marilyn bonding with her East Coast friends' children, making the most of her time with the other students at the Actors Studio, meeting people who encouraged her intellect rather than mocking it, winning small battles with the jerks at Fox, and so on. Not everything comes up roses, of course. Winder doesn't lose sight of Marilyn's chronic dependence on alcohol and drugs, and Marilyn's burgeoning and ill-fated relationship with Arthur Miller is detailed near the end of the book. But what I will remember most from this book are Marilyn's moments of joy spent with her new friends. It was a relief to finally read a book about Marilyn that focuses on the good times, brief as they were.

[Renee M. P. T. Kray · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up.

I love that this book focuses specifically on the year Marilyn spent in New York and on the hard work she did there. If you don't know much about Marilyn, I think this would be a good way to start to see the woman behind the image.

However, I was put off by the way the author portrays her as "not like other girls", often times pitting her against other figures like Audrey Hepburn and trying to show how much better Marilyn is, and giving reasons to explain away all of Marilyn's bad choices (which are a normal part of every human life). The author's love for and protection of Marilyn is something that many fans can relate to, but it's barely disguised which gives a looming sense of the author's presence instead of letting me make up my own mind. There ends up being a lot of very passionate telling-not-showing: "[Marilyn] fell in with a deluded, celeb-obsessed shrink who pushed even more pills and kept her dependent" (page 271). That's a lot of strong opinions right there, and where are the facts to back it up?

There are also some factual errors (she did not "nail a plaque" showing Cursum Perficio to her door in her Brentwood home.... It's a tile floor insert that was already there when she bought the house. Not a big detail but such an easily googleable one that it's a bizarre miss and makes one wonder what else is incorrect). There is a lot (a LOT) of "giggling". Also, the sheer amount of times this author mentions Marilyn's skin in some capacity but most often to describe its "milkiness" is a little creepy.

It's not bad, just very clear that the author has her own understanding of who Marilyn was and is more determined to argue that vision than to allow me to develop my own clear idea of what happened during Marilyn's year in New York. As I said before, if you are a newcomer to Marilyn and just want a touchstone on where to start getting to know her as a person, I think this is a fine place to start. If you are a little better versed and looking for something more factual, this might not be one of your favorites.

[Kamil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muszę na wstępie powiedzieć, że bardzo mi się podobało ta książka, która niewątpliwie jest warta uwagi, ale ma ona kilka minusów i plusów, które także chciałbym poruszyć.
Przechodząc do konkretów, nie podobało mi się to, że oczekiwałem od tej pozycji trochę więcej Nowego Jorku, a mianowicie, więcej opisów związanych z miastem, gdyż zamiast tego dostałem więcej zachwytów Marilyn nad tym miastem, niż konkretów i szerszego obrazu, ale wiem, że to taki minus na zasadzie „czepiasz się”, ale to tylko moje zdanie. Następną rzeczą, która mi trochę psuła ogólny odbiór, to taki lekki brak wyważenia tego, co chcemy zawrzeć, bo z jednej strony autorka skupia się na roku w Nowym Jorku, i wszystko jest fajnie, a z drugiej strony czasami autorka za bardzo wybiega w przeszłość lub przyszłość. Dobrze jest dodać pewne ważne fakty, ale co za dużo to nie zdrowo. Wolałbym, aby książka skupiła się tylko na tym tytułowym „najradośniejszym roku” i nie odbiegała zbyt daleko, bo to psuje cały koncept. Ostatnią rzeczą są zdjęcia, których jest za mało moim zdaniem, bo często wspomniane są jakieś fotografie i mamy tylko ich opis, dzięki czemu możemy sobie je wyobrazić, ale nic więcej, a jeśli byłoby przy tym zdjęcie, robiłoby to dużo większe wrażenie. Oczywiście te zdjęcia, które zostały zamieszczone, są przepiękne, ale dobrze by było gdyby częściej się pojawiały.
I to tyle, jeśli chodzi o negatywy, więc przejdźmy do pozytywów. To, co sprawia, że książka jest tak interesująca, to właśnie postać Marilyn Monroe, która była bardzo ciekawym człowiekiem. Ta książka pokazuje niesamowitą determinację w dążeniu do marzeń, a postać aktorki może nas wiele nauczyć m.in. jak żyć dla siebie, jak nie dać się złamać i być prawdziwym sobą oraz jak się nie poddawać, a także, dlaczego nie warto oceniać ludzi po tym jak wyglądają.
Bez wątpienia pozycja ta jest bardzo inspirująca i naprawdę godna uwagi, a ponadto nie nudzi, mimo że to biografia, bo Marilyn nie wiedziała, co to nuda i w tej książce to widać.
Odkryjcie, co drzemie w tej niesamowitej kobiecie i dajcie się porwać do jej świata, który nie zawsze był kolorowy.

[Britt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author did her research and writes well, but I already knew a great deal about this time period in MM's life. There were some new insights, but also regurgitated old information. Also, there was a bit too much detail for me. This was a year where MM was mostly sleeping, socializing, getting psychoanalyzed and photographed (yet the author reprinted none of the images so I had to google the lesser known images), and going to the actor's studio. The author actually made Marilyn's life repetitive and boring to read about. I can only hear about how messy someone's hotel room is, how late they were to something, and hear so much about their makeup before I fall asleep. I also think the title is a bit leading and assuming because I don't think Marilyn ever had a full year of joy in her life. She had so many great qualities, but she was an anxious/depressed person who was used and abused by people. I do think New York helped her to rejuvenate, grow on the inside (not the outside as she said), and get power back over her career, but still... I thought the author did a good job of characterizing all the people in her life and Amy Greene is always a personal favorite of mine to hear about.