Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis: A Comprehensive Photographic Journey and Visual Biography of a Hollywood Icon―With Film Stills and Rare, Never-Before-Published Images Hardcover – Illustrated, 8 Nov. 2011

As every avid Marilyn fan will know, new photo books can often be slightly disappointing, as they are generally rehashes of what's gone before, and will inevitably contain photos which have already been seen many times. - Well, this book does contain lots of photos that are already well known, but it also has quite a good number of not so well known ones, and some that I personally hadn't seen previously.Sized at approximately 300mm x 240mm x 34mm, and weighing in at something like 2.1kg, this is a substantial volume.Where the book immediately scores very highly, is the sheer quality. It is a superbly made book. The pages are of heavyweight paper, the front and back covers are very substantial thick hard fabric faced board, and the binding is excellent.Where the book scores highest though, is in the print quality of the photographs. Many of these photos will be familiar, but in this volume, they are printed to their absolute best. Yes, the book may be somewhat light on text - but it is clearly not meant to be a story book - It is a photo book, and it is one of the very best Marilyn photo books to come along in a very long time.In my opinion, a book that should be in the collection of every Marilyn fan.

As a massive Marilyn Monroe fan I enjoy collecting and reading the books about her life and career. Her popularity has resulted in a vast amount of books being published with some being a lot better than others. With over 20 books on Marilyn Monroe on my book shelf I can tell you that this is my absolute favourite. The quality of the book and photographs inside amaze me every time I read it and the accompanying notes are well written and have the utmost respect for Marilyn. This is an absolute must have for any Marilyn Monroe fan and is a book that you will cherish as the sheer quality makes it one of the best out there. The price is brilliant and I promise - if you are a fan of the most beautiful woman in the world - you will not regret your purchase one little bit!

This is a great book, heavy, sturdy, well made and good quality paper, but the photos themselves are fantastic. Many of the shots, particularly the Norma Jeane ones, are like looking at her close-up in HD, they're that clear and vivid. Of course, with Marilyn as the subject, the photos are visually stunning, some vibrant and joyful, some relaxed and unposed, most just heartbreakingly beautiful and touching. I've been an avid fan of this lady for 30 years now and this book contains a good handful of pictures I'd never seen before. Some text at the beginning, a reproduced interview with Marilyn at the end, and the odd page of quotes from friends, colleagues and contemporaries scattered throughout. That's all it needs though, this is a chronological collection of images of her career and it's one of the best out there, a must for MM fans!

Never before have I seen a Marilyn book so complete and beautifully presented. The quality of the paper and the images are both outstanding and superb, tracking Marilyn' life from a little town girl to the big screen to the later years. This book wonderfully captures her livelihood and trademark smiles and is a pleasure to curl up on the sofa and read. It sits on the bookshelf very nicely along side my Glamour of the Gods: Hollywood Portraits, which is another fabulous photobook of historically famous Hollywood stars.

What a beautiful book , so big and full of amazing photographs of Marilyn, a must for every Marilyn monroe fan , well worth the money

This book is a must for any Marilyn Monroe fan. It contains many beautiful photographs some of which I have never seen before and I have been collecting for almost forty years! It looks fantastic and much more expensive than it is with an excellent front cover picture and the quality is superb throughout. One of the best books on the subject ever. Buy it, you won't be disappointed!

Bought this as a gift so did not open it fully but it was in perfect condition and sealed well. Seemed very heavy and weighty, a great present for a Marilyn fan! Was told the images inside were fab also.

This book is big and full of pictures and quotes from those who knew Marilyn. I cannot recommend this book enough.