MARILYN MONROE

A high-toned, serious biography of an enduring icon, an appropriate choice for the Pop Culture Legends series. Sprinkling her account with phrases such as ``one version claims'' and ``there is some speculation that,'' Lefkowitz treats the lore that has grown up around Monroe's life with skepticism, painting a respectful picture of a woman who was ambitious but not conniving, serious about improving her acting skills but hampered by a severe lack of self-esteem. Giving Monroe's public and private lives roughly equal weight, and being specific about her parents, unsettled youth, salary, and other details, the author sees her subject as a whole person: On one hand, she is dependent on a series of manipulative coaches and doctors; on the other, she battles the studios for more challenging roles and liberates herself from the old, exploitative contract system. If the book's drab page design and muddy black-and-white photos seem calculated to keep readers away, the evenhanded, perceptive treatment will reward the persistent with a glimpse behind the glamorous image. (bibliography, filmography, chronology, index) (Biography. 12+)