The Girl, Marilyn Monroe. The Seven Year Itch and the Birth of an Unlikely Feminist by Michelle Morgan

"The reaction Marilyn got from many male party guests was of a lecherous nature, but from female guests it was something else entirely."

I received a free pre-release electronic copy from netgalley for review purposes and, given my keen interest in the subject matter I held high hopes. I was waiting to learn something new and exciting that further supported the title's description of the screen goddess as a feminist. 

It is difficult to provide new insights into a personality that is so well known. Much has already been made of Marilyn and her attempts to be taken more seriously as an actress, her tumultuous love affairs and her short-lived life which ended all too abruptly. While this book delivers a functional treatise which is easy to read, it does not seem to add too much more to the existing Monroe canon. I wanted to love this so much more that I actually did.

The notion of Monroe as an unlikely feminist stems from her efforts to take a leading role in her destiny through her creation of her own film company and her ability to overcome unfavourable conditions by using her fame as a bargaining chip. Here was a woman who recognised her box-office worth and used it, when required, to her advantage.

The book appears to be well researched and eloquently delivered. Notwithstanding, I expected a little more in terms of interesting tidbits.

3 out of 5 people don't keep their panties in the icebox.