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colorfulleo92's review
3.0
3,5 stars. I have by now read move books about Sylvia Plath then about her, because sadly I don't seem to be able to my hands on them on my book app or library. Such a shame. But I was intrigued when I found this book on my app. It's an interesting look into a time in Sylvia Plath's life and the audiobook was narrated well, but I didn't love this anywho. It's a good book but I will like other authors have captured Sylvias essence more then Elizabeth Winder did and been more readable, but nevertheless it's a good book and I'm glad I've read it.
thejazfactor's review
4.0
Found the book fascinating but felt like I learned more about the beauty trends of the time than I did about Sylvia Plath
diz_tn's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a sort of social science view of Sylvia Plath's early years. By that I mean that the author takes Plath's own writings about one summer of her life and the recollections of others close to her during that time and attempts to put Plath's later life in context through this lens of her personal history. I didn't know much about Plath other than the common things, and I found this look into her younger years fascinating. The book was full of a lot of fashion and celebrity mentions that I didn't know the first thing about, which tended to make me feel like a country bumpkin in my ignorance.
giovianna's review
5.0
winder's style is so glamorous and reminds me a lot of sylvia plath's in itself. very well done, captures the energy of that summer brilliantly
offbalance80's review
4.0
While I'm not a huge fan of Sylvia Plath's writing, I definitely can appreciate her place in the feminist pantheon. It is only the pedestal on which Plath has been placed that gets addressed in this book. Winder's well-researched account presents not a dour poet, but a bright and lively young woman exploring the fashion world in 1950s new york. Sylvia Plath was a vivacious blonde who loved parties and fashion - who knew? The best part was how fun this book was to read - it's a breezy, magazine-like account, but one that suits the subject matter well. Anyone interested in the history of magazines, or to find a more balanced account of Sylvia Plath's young adulthood should definitely check this out.
aschwartz184's review
3.0
I generally eat up any Sylvia Plath biography/memoir. I find the woman and her mind fascinating - she is definitely one of my favorite writers of the 20th century. Unfortunately, there's only so much to tell about a person's life. Author Elizabeth Winder can be lauded for her strategic focus: Plath's summer of 1953, at which time she interned at 'Mademoiselle' magazine, fueling Plath's semi-autobiographical novel known as 'The Bell Jar.'
Utilizing this focus, Winder takes us into the perceptions of Plath's college-age stint as a guest editor alongside half a dozen other young ladies. These co-editors are interviewed, informing a narrative of activities, sentiments, and even meals. It's intriguing to learn that in those days Plath was not the dark and morose creature she's been painted as in most other biographies. She was really a friendly, highly intelligent, fashion-conscious woman, too introspective to be understood by all.
Sadly, half-way through accounts of this monumental summer, the book falls a bit flat. Winder writes in brief phrases throughout - perhaps overly conscious of our ADD generation. Seemingly an effort to recapture the reader's focus, the author mixes in curious formats: the bizarre 'Dictionary of Adolescence' for example. The text boxes scattered about every chapter are a bit distracting, too; though the photos of ads from that period are captivatingly interesting.
For a different look at Plath's short life, this book is worth consideration. It lacks the depth that Plath exudes, though, and I don't believe she would approve of such a 'fluffy' scrutiny.
Utilizing this focus, Winder takes us into the perceptions of Plath's college-age stint as a guest editor alongside half a dozen other young ladies. These co-editors are interviewed, informing a narrative of activities, sentiments, and even meals. It's intriguing to learn that in those days Plath was not the dark and morose creature she's been painted as in most other biographies. She was really a friendly, highly intelligent, fashion-conscious woman, too introspective to be understood by all.
Sadly, half-way through accounts of this monumental summer, the book falls a bit flat. Winder writes in brief phrases throughout - perhaps overly conscious of our ADD generation. Seemingly an effort to recapture the reader's focus, the author mixes in curious formats: the bizarre 'Dictionary of Adolescence' for example. The text boxes scattered about every chapter are a bit distracting, too; though the photos of ads from that period are captivatingly interesting.
For a different look at Plath's short life, this book is worth consideration. It lacks the depth that Plath exudes, though, and I don't believe she would approve of such a 'fluffy' scrutiny.