Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that Sylvia Plath, the subject of this fictionalized biography, suffers from depression, possibly bipolar disorder, and commits suicide by putting her head in a gas oven while her young children sleep in the next room.
Families can talk about Sylvia Plath's life and work (see the More Choices section for some Web sites to start with). What do you think of her poetry? Why has she remained so famous after such a brief career? Could she have written this poetry if she had been more stable? Also, what is a fictionalized biography? What do you think of the form?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
A biography, written in verse, of Sylvia Plath -- this is going to have a very limited voluntary readership. But it is an excellent introduction to her life and work for English classes, and may even hook a few skeptical students. Teens who have discovered Plath on their own will be enthralled, and may be inspired to try some of their own poetry in her style.
There are a few frustrations here. The book would have benefited from a lot more photos. And at least some quotes, if not the full texts, of some of Plath's poems would have been welcome, though they are certainly easy enough to find elsewhere. Nonetheless, this lyrical introduction to the dramatic, all-too-brief life of a great and influential poet rewards rereading -- the author uses many different verse forms, layers of metaphor and voices, and subtle references to Plath's own way with language. Plath's life raises many topics worth discussing, including mental illness and its relationship to art, and gender roles in the '50s and '60s. It's unlikely that many teens will pick this up on their own, though its Printz Honor assures that it will be easy to find. But for high school and even college English and writing classes it is highly recommended.
From The Book
I have waited for you, your heartbeat
Inside me like the clock's ticking
Second hand. I still feel your pulse when I sleep.
You are your father's daughter, just like I was.
He loves you like a fine sentence.
He feeds you and you feed him.
Plot Summary:
A fictionalized biography of poet Sylvia Plath, written as a series of poems -- some from the point of view of various people in her life, and some in the style of Plath's own poems. Many include footnotes of factual information about Plath's life. Includes Author's Note, extensive source notes, and a few photos.
Related Books:
Other Books by Stephanie Hemphill:
Things Left Unsaid
More Stories in Poetry:
Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson
Under the Pear Tree by Brenda Seabrooke
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge
Witness by Karen Hesse
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse
God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant
Becoming Joe DiMaggio by Maria Testa
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge
North of Everything by Craig Crist-Evans
The Braid by Helen Frost
Related Web Sites:
Sylvia Plath bio
Unofficial Homepage
Sylvia Plath poetry
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Sexual ContentReferences to sex, including rough sex that causes bleeding; an adulterous affair. |
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ViolencePlath commits suicide by putting her head in a gas oven. |
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Language"Bitch," "bastard." |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoCocaine nasal spray is prescribed for sinusitis; drinking, smoking. |
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