Marilyn Monroe, a renowned actress, model, and cultural icon, was also an avid reader with a deep appreciation for literature.

At the time of her passing, her personal library housed more than 400 books, a collection that accompanied her through numerous moves during her 36 years of life.

This extensive library offers a unique glimpse into the intellectual life of a figure often misunderstood.

Monroe's literary interests were broad, encompassing works from diverse authors.

Her collection featured substantial texts by Marcel Proust and Albert Camus, poetry from William Blake and Walt Whitman, and biographies of Sigmund Freud.

She also crossed paths with prominent literary figures like Vladimir Nabokov and John Steinbeck, and was married to playwright Arthur Miller.

Despite public skepticism and accusations of publicity stunts, particularly when she enrolled in literature classes at UCLA in 1951 or was photographed reading James Joyce's *Ulysses*, Monroe's love for reading was genuine.

According to Gale Crowther's book, *Marilyn and Her Books*, Monroe frequently read for self-improvement, a pursuit driven by her insecurities and imposter syndrome.

Crowther notes that Monroe's library did not contain many contemporary bestsellers, suggesting a deliberate choice to engage with literature that she felt would genuinely enrich her.

Monroe held strong opinions about the books she read, once commenting on Ernest Hemingway's characters: “Those big tough guys are so sick, they aren’t even all that tough…They always want to kill something to prove themselves.” However, journalists rarely inquired about her reading habits, and she often felt her intelligence was underestimated in her social circles.

She claimed that friends of Arthur Miller treated her dismissively, and a diary entry by Miller insulting her intelligence reportedly contributed to their divorce.

After Monroe's death in 1962, her books were moved to a storage unit in Manhattan.

They remained there until 1982, when her acting coach Lee Strasberg, who had inherited most of Monroe's estate, passed away.

Strasberg's third wife, Anna Strasberg, then inherited the collection.

In 1999, Anna Strasberg arranged for Christie's auction house to sell Monroe's property, including her extensive library, making the contents public.

### A Glimpse into Marilyn Monroe's Literary World

The auctioned collection provided a detailed list of the books Monroe owned, categorized into various genres.

Her literary fiction and classics section included titles such as *Winesburg, Ohio* by Sherwood Anderson, *The Fall* by Albert Camus, *Ulysses* by James Joyce, and multiple works by Mark Twain and Marcel Proust.

The poetry section featured works by William Blake, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman, among others.

Her drama and theater collection included plays by Aristophanes, Eugene O'Neill, and George Bernard Shaw.

Beyond fiction and poetry, Monroe's library also contained books on psychology, philosophy, and spirituality, with titles like *Moses And Monotheism* by Sigmund Freud and *The Art Of Loving* by Erich Fromm.

Her interest in her craft was evident through books on acting and performance, such as *To The Actor* by Michael Chekhov and *An Actor Prepares* by Konstantin Stanislavski.

The collection also included works on politics, history, social criticism, biographies, art, photography, music, science, medicine, and even cookbooks, showcasing the breadth of her intellectual curiosity.