“Thisbookisreallytwobooks.Itisabiography,anditisalsoapictorialretrospectiveofanactresswhosegreatestloveaffairwasconceivablywiththecamera,“wroteNormanMailerinhis1973biography,Marilyn.TASCHENhaspairedMailer’soriginaltextwithBertStern’sphotographsfromthelegendaryLastSitting--widelyconsideredthemostintimatephotographsofMonroeevertaken--tocreateafittingtributetothewomanwho,atthetimeofherdeathin1962,wastheworld’smostfamous,asymbolofglamouranderoticismforanentiregeneration.Butthoughshewasfetedandadoredbyherpublic,herprivatelifewasthatofalittlegirllost,desperatetofindloveandsecurity.Mailer’sMarilynisbeautiful,tragic,andcomplex.AsMailerreflectsuponherlife--fromherbleakchildhoodthroughtothemysteriouscircumstancesofherdeath--sheemergesasasymbolofthebizarredecadeduringwhichshereignedasHollywood’sgreatestfemalestar.Thisbook,conceivedbyLawrenceSchiller,Mailer’scollaboratoronfiveworks,combinestheauthor’smasterfultextwithStern’spenetratingimagesofthe36-year-oldMarilyn.PhotographedforVoguemagazineoverthreedaysattheBel-AirHotel,Marilynhadneverallowedsuchunfetteredaccess,norhadshelookedsobreathtakinglybeautiful.Sixweekslater,mysteriously,shewasdead.Inthisboldsynthesisofliteraryclassicandlegendaryportrait-sitting,MailerandSternlifttheveilsofconfusionsurroundingMonroe--thewoman,thestar,thesexsymbol--andofferprofoundinsightintoaniconicfigurewhosetruepersonalityremainsanenigmaeventoday.
