The library of Marilyn Monroe contained over 400 books on a variety of subjects, reflecting both her intelligence and her wide-ranging interests.  No surprise to those familiar with Monroe, they were the books of a well-read and inquiring mind.  Works of Literature, Art, Drama, Biography, Poetry, Politics, History, Theology, Philosophy, and Psychology covered the walls in her library.  Among the First Editions was her own copy of The Beat Generation classic On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Ralph Ellison's The Invisible Man and William Styron's This House on Fire.  From Tolstoy to Twain, many other classic works of literature were represented, including her copies of The Great Gatsby, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, James Joyce's Dubliners, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, and The Fall by Camus.  Her library also contained books on gardening, her Bibles, and children's books, including her own copy of The Little Engine That Could which was possibly marked with her own childish scrawl.

All items in Monroe's library were in original bindings (mostly cloth or wrappers), and good condition.  The books comprising Marilyn Monroe's reading library contained her pencil marks, notations, and inserted book marks or slips.