A review by justjacq
Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation by Emily Van Duyne

challenging dark informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

I have just always been so curious about Sylvia Plath and my first real deep dive into her life (and the first book I read about her) was through reading Red Comet in 2022. I was completely sucked in, and by the time I was finished reading it, I was adding everything Sylvia to my cart. I remember planning our trip to London in 2023 and learning that Ted Hughes has a spot in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey. I was shooketh. We did not visit it. I have yet to read any of his writing, but I don't need to read any to know that he was not a good human and certainly not worthy of recognition in any Abbey. I formed this opinion simply based on the fact that he was a mean, adulterous, mentally draining husband - everything in this book made me question everything that was left out of Red Comet. There was still some silencing (although maybe not purposefully) of Sylvia even in that massive bio. This book was (drumroll please) spectacular. It took me a little longer to read than I expected, but only because it's such a dense and rich examination of Sylvia's life and work. And beyond Sylvia, it worked through Assia Wevill, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), the difficulty various authors/scholars have faced to write a biography about her, the mythology surrounding Sylvia, her writing, and her legacy, and the monster that was Ted Hughes. It's necessary reading for any Plath fan, and it's an exceptional addition to the collection of writings on Sylvia. Also, I feel beyond lucky to have met Emily Van Duyne and hear her speak at Pocket Books in Lancaster, PA - it was a small, intimate crowd, and it felt truly special to hear about her "Plath-path."