'No woman was more patronized and demeaned than Marilyn Monroe. With wit, warmth and scholarly empathy, Gail Crowther's wonderful book reconstructs not just her library, but her life. Marilyn and Her Books is both a penetrating analysis of her literary compulsions and a kind of Lynchian diorama: a shimmering, unsettling portrait which reminds us that reading, like Hollywood, is a dream-state. Just when we thought we could not love Marilyn more, Crowther deepens and complicates our devotion, allowing us to see her clearly at last - and lay her to rest with the respect she has always deserved. I loved it'
