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baileybb's review against another edition
5.0
Really excellent book, informative and easy to follow - finished it in a day. It goes through the existing accounts of Plath’s life with a critical eye and draws on new interviews with those that knew her to portray a reasonably rounded picture. Malcolm highlights the possible inaccuracies of biographical writing as she goes, as well as the back and forth between biographers and the Plath estate (which makes it an interesting read for anyone interested in this form of writing).
milo10000's review
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
Malcolm fearlessly invokes her, and all of our, draw to biography/voyeurism in this multifaceted portrait of Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, and the many still-living figures we all leave behind.
Hard to convey how intriguing and complex this book is.
Hard to convey how intriguing and complex this book is.
macbeckyton's review against another edition
5.0
This was fascinating, engaging, and easy to read. A little bit name-droppy in places but otherwise very insightful, discussing a notoriously 'slippery' literary marriage. Easily as profound writing about Plath/Hughes as it is in its questions on the legitimacy and authority of biography.
thaifernandes's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing book. Not sure if I want to read the Bitter Fame anymore but I'm glad I read The Silent Woman first!
lifesaverscandyofficial's review
5.0
read this for my nonfic class for school - loved it, really, and only took longer than I needed because it was so worth savoring. a great biographical non-biography, study of humans, truth, storytelling, memory, etc. I laughed out loud more than I expected to, and I also can't stop thinking about Al Alvarez's anecdote about his female friend - a psychoanalyst, he specifies, to clarify that she's not just ANY woman - who upon meeting Ted Hughes had to go to the bathroom to THROW UP because he was so hot (how do you say, "mood"?). glad I read. looking forward to further rereads.