Marilyn Monroe’s Personally Owned Copy of Of Stars and Men
A copy of Of Stars and Men – Human Response to an Expanding Universe by astronomer Harlow Shapley from the personal library of Marilyn Monroe.
This title reflects Marilyn Monroe’s fascination with science, philosophy, and humanity’s place within the larger universe. In Of Stars and Men, Shapley explores the emotional, philosophical, and cultural implications of modern astronomy, examining how expanding scientific knowledge reshapes mankind’s understanding of itself.
Books such as this illustrate the breadth of Monroe’s intellectual curiosity and her desire to look beyond the surface of fame and daily life toward larger existential questions. Her library contained not only literature and psychology, but works that addressed science and cosmology, revealing a mind engaged with ideas far removed from the image projected onto her by popular culture.
Preserved as part of Marilyn Monroe’s personal reading library, this volume stands as quiet evidence of her ongoing pursuit of knowledge and her belief in reading as a means of growth, reflection, and self-understanding.
The Library of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe’s personal library comprised more than 400 volumes spanning an extraordinary range of subjects, a testament to both her intelligence and her deeply curious nature. For those who truly know Monroe, this breadth comes as no surprise. These were the books of a serious and inquisitive reader. Literature, art, drama, biography, poetry, politics, history, theology, philosophy, and psychology lined the shelves of her home.
Among the first editions were her own copies of defining twentieth-century works, including Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, and William Styron’s This House on Fire. From Tolstoy to Twain, her library embraced the great voices of world literature, with titles such as The Great Gatsby, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, James Joyce’s Dubliners, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and Albert Camus’s The Fall. Alongside these classics were books on gardening, multiple Bibles, and beloved children’s stories, including her personal copy of The Little Engine That Could.
The volumes in Monroe’s library remained in their original bindings, most commonly cloth or paper wrappers, and were preserved in good condition. Many retain intimate traces of her engagement with the text, including pencil markings, annotations, inserted bookmarks, and loose slips of paper.
Every book sold from Marilyn Monroe’s library at the landmark 1999 Christie’s auction bears a posthumous bookplate identifying its provenance. Proceeds from the sale benefited Literacy Partners, extending Monroe’s lifelong commitment to reading and self-education beyond her own lifetime.
The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe
October 1999
Collector’s Note
During my early work with Anna Strasberg, my first visit extended over four days and included several trips to her storage facility. There, we examined the vast personal library of her husband, Lee Strasberg. A devoted reader and lifelong student of literature, Lee’s collection spanned countless genres and multiple languages. Anna estimated that his library contained close to 10,000 volumes. Standing among those shelves, it was impossible not to imagine the many conversations Marilyn and Lee must have shared about books, ideas, and learning. Given the scope of his collection, it is clear that Lee’s influence encouraged Marilyn to read deeply and to pursue knowledge with seriousness and intent.
Marilyn Monroe’s own personal library ultimately grew to include more than 400 books, reflecting both her intelligence and her wide-ranging intellectual interests. Her shelves held works of literature, art, drama, biography, poetry, politics, history, theology, philosophy, and psychology. Alongside these were books on gardening, multiple Bibles, and cherished children’s titles, including her own copy of The Little Engine That Could, possibly marked with her own youthful handwriting. Together, these volumes reveal a woman committed to self-education and inner growth.
One particularly astonishing moment occurred while Anna and I were reviewing Lee’s books. I selected a box at random and began sorting through its contents when a familiar title immediately caught my eye: Of Stars and Men – Human Response to an Expanding Universe by Harlow Shapley. I recognized it instantly because Marilyn herself had owned the same book—a copy that is now part of my collection. That moment of connection, bridging their libraries and my own stewardship, underscored just how deeply books linked the intellectual worlds Marilyn inhabited.
Scott Fortner
Marilyn Monroe Collection
Founder & Owner
@mariylnmonroecollection 
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