The Marilyn Encyclopedia
- Book Review,
by Adam Victor
Amazon.com
The Marilyn Encyclopedia is, according to its jacket notes, "the most comprehensive book about [Marilyn Monroe's] extraordinary life and legacy ever published." This may easily be true--it is incredibly, insanely detailed. Author Adam Victor has taken every conceivable source of Marilyn information--admittedly including Internet rumors and Hollywood gossip among the more well-documented tidbits--distilled them down to alphabetical entries, and cross-referenced them to within an inch of their lives. While the casual fan can check out Marilyn's Look covers or a list of the screenwriters she worked with, hardcore devotees can look up such vital information as the name of the first restaurant she and Joe DiMaggio ate at on their honeymoon (a controversy--was it the restaurant at the Hot Springs Hotel or at the Clifton Inn?) or the name of Marilyn's poodle (Maf Honey). The meticulous cross-referencing makes The Marilyn Encyclopedia an extremely enjoyable browser's read, allowing the reader to hop from Marilyn's disdain for underwear to her working relationship with John Huston to the fact that she never had much trouble with gambling--all with the flip of a page. This encyclopedia of course contains a rich assortment of photos: posed studio portraits, pinups, and candid shots vie for space throughout the tome. Despite his obvious devotion as a fan, Victor is remarkably evenhanded in his choice of the quotes and anecdotes sprinkled throughout the book. The reader cannot help but be left with the impression that, for all her magical appeal, Monroe may well have been a trying person to deal with on a day-to-day basis. This is the perfect book for the dedicated fan who wants to know everything--no, really, everything--about Marilyn Monroe. --Ali Davis
From Library Journal
From artichokes to hair color, it seems nothing has been left out of this comprehensive encyclopedia of Hollywood's premier starlet, a woman who continues to fascinate nearly four decades after her death. Combining gorgeous color photographs with articles on everything related to or influenced by Marilyn Monroe, Victor, a freelance writer and translator, has composed the definitive question-and-answer book for fans and scholars. Entries range from a few lines to several pages, but all whet the appetite for more. Rather than take sides, Victor simply presents the fact and the folklore that make up the Marilyn mystique, including gossip, anecdote, and conspiracy theories. The photos alone make this a worthy purchase, but its exhaustive scope and impartial presentation make it highly recommended for public libraries and necessary for film collections.-Kelli N. Perkins, Herrick P.L., Holland, MI Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
What movie star besides Marilyn Monroe, the quintessence of white, feminine sex appeal, could credibly be the focus of a lavish, 350-page encyclopedia? The question is rhetorical, especially when Marilyn's rags-to-riches career and embodiment of the smiling-on-the-outside, crying-on-the-inside celebrity are factored in. Victor has combed the vast literature, folklore, and fakelore about the great star and packed the results into a dictionary of people, places, things, and concepts. Sure, there is an entry on DiMaggio and on each of Marilyn's movies; here, too, however, is a "Films" entry about movies in which she might have starred, an entry on "Beauty" and Marilyn, and a nifty list of the books she read. A fan could get lost for days in Victor's achievement, even if it weren't copiously illustrated with small news and candid photos and plenty of full pagers of Marilyn fully dolled up for the camera, though virtually every man will dream she has done it just for him. Ray Olson
Book Description
This stunning visual compendium of Marilyn's life includes hundreds of rare photographs and easy access to all of the information on Marilyn's life and times. With complete information on Marilyn's films, including comprehensive credit listings, cross-referencing, a comprehensive bibliography, and an extensive name index, The Marilyn Encyclopedia surpasses everything that has come before it.
About the Author
Adam Victor is a writer of fiction and nonfiction and a translator. He appeared in and was a consultant on the E! True Hollywood Story entitled "The Loves of Marilyn Monroe."
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