History has portrayed Marilyn Monroe as a 'dumb blonde'. In fact she was neither dumb nor naturally blonde. The popular image created of her is a consequence of the parts she played in her popular films and the childlike innocence she often displayed in public. However, there was another, far more complex side to her character, coloured by her unhappy start in life and by her three failed marriages, a complexity she was able to put into words very eloquently. Her life ended abruptly and tragically and there are still those who believe the conspiracy theories about her death. Perhaps we shall never know the truth - but we can look a bit more closely into her mind and understand her through her own words, as you will discover in this book. And you will see for yourself that, although Marilyn Monroe may have been seen as a blonde sex symbol, she was far from 'dumb'.