My Story

by Ben Hecht and Marilyn Monroe

Book Overview

Written at the height of her fame but not published until over a decade after her death, this autobiography of actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) poignantly recounts her childhood as an unwanted orphan, her early adolescence, her rise in the film industry from bit player to celebrity, and her marriage to Joe DiMaggio. In this intimate account of a very public life, she tells of her first (non-consensual) sexual experience, her romance with the Yankee Clipper, and her prescient vision of herself as the kind of girl they found dead in the hall bedroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills in her hand. The Marilyn in these pages is a revelation: a gifted, intelligent, vulnerable woman who was far more complex than the unwitting sex siren she portrayed on screen. Lavishly illustrated with photos of Marilyn, this special book celebrates the life and career of an American icon---from the unique perspective of the icon herself.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1589793161
• ISBN13: 9781589793163
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.2" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Condition 👍

I was just wondering 🤔 why it showed up without a book cover.other than that everything is Great thank you so much .

Just Wonderful

I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe. I finally decided to read a little more indepthly about her and thought there would be no better place to start than with her own words. The book is just fascinating. Although parts were miserable (mostly about her childhood), it was such a brief glimpse that her light spirit remains intact. This book was a real treat since I find her absolutely fascinating. The eerie entries that almost seem to foreshadow her gradual demise are so coincidental, I wonder if that was not her friend Ben Hecht embellishing after the fact. And even though some people say she could not have written this, I see her voice in the phrasing and choice of words. My only complaint that the book, like her life, was too short. Highly recommend.

A terrific buy

This book is amazing!! Marilyn vividly descirbes her good/bad expierences and her dreams of becoming a famous actress. When reading the book it feels like your going back in time and watching Marilyn grow into one of the most memorable, sensitive, and discredited actress of all time. During some parts I have to admit, I felt chills up my spine and was a little spooked. I have never been able to complete this book because I know that it will not have a happy ending and will forever be incomplete and that Marilyn will never have a chance to try some of the things that she longed for. I would highly recomend that you would read other books on Marilyn before reading her autobiography. You should know some of the people and events in her life because there are no explainations and a reader my get confused.

Pleasantly Surprised

I never thought of Marilyn Monroe as being a deep, self reflective type of woman. However, this book reveals a side of her that is much more complicated than her public persona and is hidden by her glamour. I thought this book was great, I wish though there were less pictures of her Hollywood persona and more of her past.

Autobiographies OnLy!!!

I rarely read books, but then it hit me - if I read the autobiographies of the moviestars I love than I'll know more. MARILYN MONROE: MY STORY was the first in four auto's that I have read. This books is her own self portrait up to the year 1954. This was the period of her life that wasn't so induced. She describes what her childhood and mentally ill mother's lives were like in the Depression era. Some of the best topics are her views and opinions of her films: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry A Millionare, and The Asphalt Jungle. After having read the book, I believe that I have a much better understanding of the Monroe than I have gotten reading biographies written by other authors, not the legend herself. It's a great book and I'll read it again and again.

a marilyn fan necessity

Whether you believe that Marilyn herself or friend Ben Hecht wrote this book, it is a must-own for any collector. With short, charming chapters that you can almost hear being whispered to you in Marilyn's little girl voice, the book truly captures her persona. How awful to get to the end, knowing her troubles are barely beginning!