The Book Wench

Far 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.

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 Life magazine 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.

Marilyn And Her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe 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.

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.

I first saw this book listed as an upcoming publication on Edelweiss+ and requested it immediately. I was never approved (nor declined) to review an ARC of this book, but it didn’t leave my head. To the point where I ordered a copy of it when it came out at my local Indie bookstore. I love Marilyn and I love books. What better way to merge those two loves than to read this book?

Unusually for me, I dived into the book right away after my order came in. Usually, I just buy books and then read them when the mood strikes. It seems as though my mood wanted me to read it as soon as possible, especially since it had been lurking in my mind for literal months.

I was somewhat confused at first by the opening chapter, which functions as a prologue. A prologue in a non-fiction book? Interesting. Especially given that this prologue is the written daydream of the author, imagining strolling through Marilyn’s home, perusing her shelves and seeing what books Marilyn had. After that, however, the book got down to business, giving readers exactly what they were looking for.

The book is an in-depth look at the books that shaped Marilyn, the books she kept on her shelves, and the relationships (romantic or otherwise) she had with writers and how they affected each other’s lives. It was honestly amazing to see that some of the books I have read (or that I own and have yet to read) were found on Marilyn’s shelves upon her death in 1962 and later sold at auction in 1999. I have always felt a kinship to Marilyn because of our shared mental health issues and so it felt like another tie to her.

I really enjoyed the layout of the book, although the pacing did seem to lag a little in the middle. Pacing in non-fiction is just as important as in fiction and there was a little bit of a lull when the author was discussing the relationships between Marilyn and the writers she met (or influenced). Still, I was never bored and I learned so much about Marilyn’s life that I did not know because the truth contradicts what society and Hollywood wants us to remember about Marilyn. She was not some ditsy, sad, blonde bombshell with nothing to give the world other than the sexuality she exuded in her films. She was a person with thoughts and feelings (yes, some of which were sad) and hobbies outside. She was a terrific actress who not only performed in a complicated method of acting but researched said method (unironically called Method Acting) and perfected it to the best of her ability. She was considered by many of her peers to be not just a great actress, but an exceptional one. But, more than that, she was a person. A person who, it just so happens, loved books.

I really enjoyed the book and I flew through the first half and last quarter of it. I would honestly recommend it to anyone who loves Marilyn (the real Marilyn, not the one society forced on the world) and books.