I Wanna Be Loved by You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes

Biographer and novelist Wilson (I Saw Him Die) marks the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth with a prismatic account of her tumultuous life. Forgoing a linear narrative, Wilson offers vignettes of key episodes, ranging from the religious zeal that shaped her childhood to her romantic relationships with the likes of Joe DiMaggio, Frank Sinatra, and, allegedly, John F. Kennedy. The approach allows for deep dives into the uncanny parallels between her life and that of earlier blonde superstar Jean Harlow and the ways Monroe thoughtfully crafted elements of her star persona, including her singular walking style. Wilson is particularly captivated by Monroe’s afterlife, devoting considerable coverage to the myriad theories that surround her death at 36 in 1962 and the convoluted path of her personal effects, which are now scattered around the world in private collections. These details, however, come at the cost of in-depth analyses of Monroe’s film performances and other aspects of her complex personality, such as her desire for intellectual self-improvement, which are only touched on glancingly. Wilson characterizes much of what has been written about Monroe as “an intriguing blend of truth and myth, whipped up with a topping of sickly-sweet Hollywood spin.” Despite his best efforts, he fails to escape the same trap. (June)