Book review: The Little book of Marilyn
The Little Book of Marilyn: Inspiration from the Goddess of Glam by Michelle Morgan
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If you’re a Marilyn Monroe fan, then you are no doubt familiar with the work of Michelle Morgan who has written 6 books on Marilyn as well as other Old Hollywood biographies. Her latest Marilyn book, The Little Book of Marilyn: Inspiration from the Goddess of Glam has been anticipated by fans for several months and I was lucky enough to get a copy in advance to do an honest review.
Now, to start, this isn’t a Marilyn biography, photography book or memoir. To quote the blurb, this is a ‘lifestyle guide’ and honestly I can’t believe nobody has thought of this before!
The Little Book of Marilyn is quite literally a guide on how to take inspiration from Marilyn Monroe and use those tips and tricks in your everyday life. The book includes makeup and hair tutorials, style advice and tips on how you can look and feel like Marilyn Monroe.
To begin The Little Book of Marilyn is absolutely stunning! It’s small, flexibound and so bright. You can carry this with you for on the go tips and lessons on how to be more like Marilyn! The colours in this book are unbelievable and really make the pictures of Marilyn pop! It’s is beautifully illustrated with glamour shots made more colourful like pop art with the bold colours and patterns. I also love the photos of Marilyn having her hair done and looking much more natural and relaxed onset or in the makeup chair.
Now as with every Marilyn book there is a mini biography chapter. It’s part of what makes us love her – the details about how she got triumphed over her sad childhood and how she grew up to become the famous movie star, Marilyn Monroe. The chapter was concise and relevantly included major changes in Marilyn’s appearance and style. Marilyn’s story was also told through her belongings and the style techniques that made her into an icon.
A very interesting part of the book are the tutorials and makeup routines. Like the tutorials we see online today, they teach us how to style our hair and do our makeup like Marilyn Monroe. Only this time they’re on paper. The hair and makeup tutorials in The Little Book of Marilyn were recreated by world famous Marilyn Monroe tribute-artist Suzie Kennedy!
As well as recreating Marilyn’s hair and makeup looks, some of the tutorials are about how to’s and DIY craft. Fans can make accessories at home that were similar to Marilyn’s including a bag identical to the one Marilyn used in Bus Stop as well as how to fix your summer hat to match Marilyn’s and how you can recreate the 1960s inspired tiles that Marilyn had in her own kitchen.
The tutorials and crafts themselves are fun, nostalgic and it is just much more special to own a Marilyn guide book with crafts and tutorials than to look them up on YouTube or Google. I found that I was pulling myself away from reading to attempt the crafts and tutorials!
I loved that Michelle included Marilyn’s home decor style so that fans can collect items to decorate their own home like Marilyn’s in order to feel closer to her. I thought that Michelle really went that extra mile with not just including Marilyn Monroe style tips and tricks but places, stores and restaurants that Marilyn visited.
It was also useful and helpful that Michelle provided websites and addresses to stores that sold replica and vintage clothes and items. I was constantly on my phone looking up the online stores so I could buy replica items and vintage clothes!
If there is one thing that this book is filled with it’s love for Marilyn! And not just from the author but from Marilyn’s fans. Michelle interviewed Marilyn fans to make the book more personal and open to all. Throughout the book are anecdotes and stories from Marilyn fans – some are teenagers, others have grandchildren, some have been collecting all their lives, and others have just begun to decorate the room with her pictures.
Michelle has clearly used her knowledge and research on Marilyn to provide fans with ways of embodying Marilyn whether it be through her style, home decor, lifestyle or Marilyn’s sense of self. Fans of Marilyn and Old Hollywood need to get their hands on this lovely, little style guide. Once again Michelle has created a high quality tribute to Marilyn that is a blessing for fans.
Thank you Running Press for sending me The Little Book of Marilyn! It is out now in the US or you can Pre-Order from Amazon UK. It will be released in the UK on 25th July.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this blog post, as there are more book and film reviews to come. Please recommend some reviews for me to do!
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