Frank & Marilyn: The Lives, the Loves, and the Fascinating Relationship of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe by Edward Z. Epstein
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Web ID: 15494821Frank, Marilyn and old Hollywood
I've never read a single book about Marilyn Monroe and only one or two about Frank Sinatra, so when I saw this biography alluding to some kind of romantic relationship between these two I was intrigued to read it. My intention was to quickly glance at this two days ago- but wound up ravaging through the roughly 300 pages to its conclusion. That rarely happens with me, a rather slow reader. And when I was done it seriously whet my appetite to read more biographies about Marilyn Monroe. I truly appreciated the way the author kept the pace going with Frank and Marilyn's intertwined stories, never going into the weeds so it never got boring. He kept the focus keenly on his subjects, as their lives weaved around other celebrities and notables such as Monroe's ex-husbands baseball great Joe DiMaggio and playwright Arthur Miller, actors Yves Montand, Dean Martin, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift and Peter Lawford, crooners Sammy Davis, Jr. and Eddie Fisher, actresses Ava Gardner, Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Juliet Prowse, and politicians President John F. Kennedy and brother/ Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. The book is just over 300 pages, a concise page-turner. My advance copy contained no pictures, but perhaps there will be in the final released version. No matter, I routinely performed internet searches as I read along about certain photo shoots, situations and celebrity events, finding many photos online that helped bring these stories to life in my mind. The book cover design is underwhelming, but after finishing the book I understand why it was used. It is a rare photo of Frank and Marilyn taken just a short time before her untimely death, when he whisked her away on a yacht trip. But the bland presentation underestimates the buried treasure within, because this is a fine book that inspires further reading on the subject. Thank you to the publisher Post Hill Press for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
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