Icon: The Life, Times and Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume 1 - 1926 TO 1956 Paperback – 17 Sept. 2016

I have just finished reading Icon: The Life, Times And Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume I - 1926 to 1956, by Gary Vitacco-Robles and I can say with absolute truthfulness - it does what it says on the cover!As a long term collector and reader of books about Monroe - I am always looking forward to a good new Marilyn read, unfortunately on many occasions I have been disappointed. I'm thrilled this has not been one of those occasions!Firstly I will say what this book is not… this book is not a quick read, it's a hefty 634 pages, discounting notes and bibliography etc (I'm told Volume II weighs in at around 1,000!)It's not a photo book - if you want a book with photos I suggest books such as Milton's Marilyn, An Evening With Marilyn by Douglas Kirkland, and the Last Sitting by Bert Stern. I could go on and on - there are many great photographic books out there - this is not one of them!What this book IS, is a wonderful documentary of Marilyn's life, times and films. Accurately and painstakingly researched, the Author sets before us a chronological view of events, flirting on the periphery of the lives of other people who stepped into Marilyn's timeline. For example, I learned that George Sanders, who worked with Marilyn on All About Eve committed suicide in 1972, leaving behind a suicide note that actually made me sad but at the same time laugh out loud. He truly endeared himself to me, I just understood! His caustic wit was sharp to the end.Whilst you read this book, you find yourself walking through Old Hollywood - step by step, experiencing not just Marilyn but Marilyn's experiences!For me, what sets this apart from many previous biographies is that it is more 'whole' that the evidence is solid and traceable - this Author has done the leg work!There is no over sentimentality in this book, whilst there will always be a bias when a book is written by someone who is so obviously also a fan of his subject, this is a book about a real woman who lived, breathed, made mistakes and achieved amazing heights both personally and professionally.Unfortunately, there is one negative observation that I do feel I have to mention in this review - there seems to have been a serious issue with proof reading/copy editing - there are numerous typos, grammatical errors etc - I have heard via the grapevine that this has been addressed in reprint - but my book is absolutely peppered with copy mistakes.Because Icon is such a worthwhile and enjoyable read for anyone remotely interested in Marilyn and Hollywood - I cannot give it less than 5 stars - despite the typos - the content is superior to many books out there that have almost no typo mistakes in them but as Billy Wilder once said in relation to Marilyn not being punctual'My Aunt Minnie would always be punctual and never hold up production, but who would pay to see my Aunt Minnie?'The content of this book is where the value is - it's a well thought out, well researched and well written honest book. I've already ordered Volume II and can't wait for it to arrive!

One of the must read MM Biographer – Gary Vitacco-Robles, who has painstakingly written the book of any Marilyn fans dream, documenting every single year of her life. It’s so incredibly detailed, that it was published in two Volumes – the first starting with her Birth Year, 1926 and ending 30 years later in 1956.

I have been meant to buy Gary's books in FOREVER.I was bought them as gifts from my husband recently and my word, why did I wait so long?!Gary, a dedicated fan and researcher clearly is all about FACTS. And that's what Marilyn's life is lacking. All that surrounds Marilyn's life over the decades has been nothing but rumour, speculation and conspiracy. But this book changes it all. He's even written about things I never knew before. And although I may not have the largest selection of Marilyn books, I've read over two dozen.Nowadays I only have a few Marilyn books I go to for reference when doing research for my website and social media pages and Gary's books are where I go to first and foremost. I am so impressed by the detail and dedication this book demonstrates that I don't ever feel the need to look elsewhere. Thank you Gary for an incredibly biography on our girl! x

I was drawn to this book after hearing the author as a panelist on several seasons of Goodnight Marilyn Radio on Voice America. He always provided interesting details with specific sources and offered a new perspective on Marilyn, explaining her symptoms of a mental illness, which totally made sense to me and provided insight into her life. He always spoke of Marilyn in a respectful & compassionate way, & I was interested in how, as a therapist, would breathe new life into Marilyn's much-told story. I also joined the author's Facebook group & enjoyed all the posts that I realize came directly from this book.Volume one lived up to my expectations & completely delivered what it claimed to be in its comprehensive title. Having been born in 1992, I appreciated the historical context given to Marilyn’s life and relationships. It focused on relationships that were real with people I did not hear about, and many of the people I expected to read about, turned out to be not as close to her as the soundbites and trash magazines claim. Many of the people in her life died long before I started middle school, but now I want to learn more about them. I had only seen Marilyn's last few films, but reading the book’s analysis of each film inspires me to go back and re-watch them as well as to also seek out earlier, lesser-known films.This was an intense read, dense in detail, but I felt like a fly on the wall & could picture her life unfolding like a movie. I did notice a few minor editorial issues, but compared to other bios on Marilyn by renown authors, I thought this book really captured her spirit like no other. The childhood sexual abuse & its effect on her brought me to tears at one point. The tone was respectful & insightful & I absolutely fell in love with Marilyn all over again. It was refreshing to read facts rather than salicious rumors. I believe this is the definitive Monroe bio for the decade & can even image this rich material being adapted into a television series like "The Crown."

another great book by Gary on our beloved Marilyn, waiting patiently for Vol 2 ( end of summer '14?). my only slight criticism is that the prose could have been better proof-read, some silly basic grammatical errors that just take the edge off of an otherwise engrossing read!

As a long time fan of Marilyn Monroe I have read many books about her, some good, many bad. This is one of the best. I thought there wasn’t much more I could learn about her life until I read this book. Very well researched & you really get to see who Marilyn was. Looking forward to volume 2. I couldn’t recommend this book more.

Yes

This book (& Volume 2) is the most honest biography of Marilyn I have ever read (and I've read most the reputable ones).An absolute must read for any true Marilyn lover. You will not find another book on the legend, that is as thorough and comprehensively written.After reading both volumes I truly feel like I know who Marilyn really was. She has never been more of a "real person" than while reading this book. Every stage of her life is brought into reality and you really do feel like you are reliving her life with her. A wonderful and heartbreaking experience. The author did an outstanding job on both volumes, and I really can't praise him or these books enough! If you really want to go beyond the legend and image of Marilyn, this is the absolute perfect book.

Avevo già acquistato il secondo volume, e l'avevo trovato così ben fatto, da desiderare di leggere anche la prima parte di questa lunga e dettagliatissima biografia. Ne sono rimasta entusiasta

Through the magic of electricity and TheMatrix, the author of "Icon" and I have become FaceBook friends and I must relate this to you first: he is an extremely nice fellow. Not only that, I believe he loves Marilyn just as much as I do and trust me on this—that is saying something.I considered a whole slew of adjectives to describe Gary’s tome. Then I realized I only need to use one: superlative. The universe of Marilyn literature is vast and the number of biographies written about her is staggering. I haven’t read them all; but I have read more than a few and a few of those I’ve read more than once. Icon surpasses them all.It's obvious that Gary assiduously researched Marilyn's life. The level of detail is such that Gary provides not only an accounting of the when the where and the how, he also creates what amounts to a Technicolor movie of an indelible woman. He describes the fabrics used to create her stylish gowns, the shoes and jewelry she wore; he even dedicates a few words to the undergarments she agreed to wear after her marriage to Joe DiMaggio, when she tried to be less provocative for Mr. 56. Your imagination will take over as you read and with little or no effort, you will see her unforgettable face, hear her unforgettable voice and her unforgettable laugh, smell the Chanel No. 5 she always wore, whether awake or asleep. Within the leaves of "Icon", Marilyn walks among us once again, vividly.But more important perhaps than anything else, Gary eschews the lurid sensationalism that afflicts many “biographies” written "about" Marilyn, perhaps the most maligned and defamed female celebrity of all time. While he does not avoid the truth about the childhood Norma endured or how the impact of her traumatic experiences shaped the woman Norma became, his voice is always compassionate, never accusatory or judgmental. Also, by allowing the voices of many persons who knew or encountered Marilyn to be heard through quotations and touching anecdotes, Gary clearly reveals Marilyn’s humanity and kindness, her concern for the disadvantaged and the marginalized, her love for animals and her wonderful sense of humor.The length of Volume 1 is intimidating but well worth the effort, even for a casual Marilyn fan. The languid cadence of Gary’s prose makes it easy to read and Marilyn’s story, her life, her triumphs and her failures, as Gary vividly recounts them, are so compelling that I found it difficult to put the book down. As far as the printing errors reported by some reviewers are concerned, they are minor and do not alter my opinion of Gary’s accomplishment one bit—superlative.I can hardly wait for Volume 2.

Gary Vitacco- Robles’ “Icon: The Life, Times, and Films of Marilyn Monroe Volume 1 & 2” is, as the title explains, much more than Monroe’s biography; it is a very detailed chronicle of not only the actress` private and professional life, but also of the times in which she used to live. It may seem that everything about Monroe’s life has been written, but Robles proves that there is still a lot of to research about; Robles debunks in his second volume inter alia myths and conspiracy theories about Monroe’s death.The author’s both volumes are doubtless brilliant, immensely readable, superbly-written and well-researched. The biggest advantage of his books is their thoroughness- Robles` riveting volumes come up with the facts, pure and simple; each of sentences and each of statements are proved and stick to the facts. The author deliberately avoids any sensationalism in order to provide an absolute truth about Monroe’s life. What should be emphasised is the fact that Robles` biography is the most spacious ever written- with 781 pages of the first and with 892 pages of the second volume (hardback edition- in accordance with data on Amazon). Though both tomes are so extensive they aren’t ever boring, on the contrary- a reader enjoys each of pages. Robles provides a very detailed information not only about each film, each year of Marilyn’s life, but also particulars about her make up, clothes and piece of jewellery. With his work the author honours Monroe not only as a goddess, a legend, an icon, but first of all as a human being. Robles has given her the treatment she deserves. The actress is reborn and reclothed in a fair and gorgeous way.About the motives for writing of both volumes Robles explained to me : “I wrote it with the intent not only to honor Marilyn and to educate readers about the impact of abuse and mental illness, but also for those who both admire and feel empathy for her.” That’s just what strikes readers of the volumes – the author’s incredible empathy for Marilyn.In the light of what’s been written in this review I would risk an assertion that G. Vitacco- Robles is the king among Monroe’s biographers. As an ardent and a long standing fan of Marilyn’s talent I really appreciate Robles` extraordinary and first-class work recommending it warmly to the fans of MM. As the author wrote to me: “The research and writing was a labour of love & along journey”- a reader can feel it on each page of this excellent book. In order to fill up this review, a special importance should be given to an exquisite layout of both volumes- they are greatly edited in every detail including beautiful pictures of Marilyn on the cover.In conclusion, I would like to add that I had a great opportunity to exchange a few e-mails and massages on Facebook with the author in which I got to know G. Vitacco-Robles as a very warm, intelligent and kind person. On this spot I would like to thank him from the bottom of my heart for his magnificent biography.