Red Comet

 

When I got this book at the library I didn't know how long it was. When I saw it was over 900 pages I told myself that I would just flip through it. I was surprised. I got through the whole thing. It's an entertaining biography but very rich with detail. You practically feel like you are going through Sylvia Plath's daily life. One thing that I got from this book was that Sylvia Plath was very humble. She didn't know how good she was. Yes she was submitting to places like The New Yorker so she had some awareness of her talent. However to most people she just introduced herself as Mrs. Ted Hughes. It's sad reading Red Comet because one minute she's in love with him and walking on air. Then during the affair she's in pieces. Ted Hughes comes across as very indifferent to her feelings during the whole mess. This is the definitive Sylvia Plath biography. I don't think it is necessary to read another one. It also describes well how it was like to be a female writer in the 1950s and 1960s and the struggle of just getting your foot in the door. It also gives a thorough analysis of her poetry.