Rough Magic: A Biography of Sylvia Plath by Paul Alexander
Publication: January 1, 1991
Pages: 402 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars ✩✩✩✩
Sweet Spark: While discussing my first impressions once I'd finished the book, a co-worker questioned if it was Sylvia Plath who was so annoying, or her mental illness. Fair.
This was a book from my Amazon wish list, before I populated Goodreads with what I wanted to read. So around the holidays, someone purchased it from my wish list, and I finally had a little time to read something that I had sitting around, instead of the books I'm trying to read and review closer to their publication dates. Anyway.
When I first found that this was the biography that was not authorized by Sylvia Plath's estate (which is her nearly ex-husband Ted Hughes and his sister, Olwyn, who disliked Plath), I expected a little more Hughes-bashing. But really, what I read was an amazingly well-researched book about Sylvia Plath, with just a few non-flattering facts about her marriage to Hughes. This only led me to think even less of Ted Hughes, since I'm not sure what he would have found unacceptable to publish about this book. That he had a history with young co-eds early in their relationship and marriage, or that he was living with his mistress when they finally separated? Neither one really colored my opinion of Hughes, other than how his actions affected Plath's life.
Sylvia Plath was undeniably an amazingly talented author. While she started with poetry, she also published a novel, prose, and some magazine stories. Her published works started in childhood, and she eventually strove for more success and recognition of her writing. She would certainly be thrilled at the fandom that has developed since - and possibly as a result of? - her untimely death.
Most of her life was pretty typical of the time, except for the early death of her father from untreated diabetes. Her parents were both educators, and education was also a priority and eventual career for Plath as well. The time period in which she lived also changed the path of her relationships. From her own writings and commentary from men she dated, it sounds like her desires were much more liberal than society would then allow. Most likely, this also contributed to her mental state oftentimes.
While she most wanted to be a writer, it didn't sound like she ever didn't want to be a wife and mother too. It was a lot, but she was brought up with a respect for traditional values, and an expectation from herself and others that she would do the same. I found it striking that she went out of her way to ensure her children's safety, even when she was choosing to end her life.
Overall, the detail of the book was sometimes a lot to read, but the author obviously worked hard to get it right. The book earned 4 out of 5 stars, and would be recommended to those who want to know more about Sylvia Plath or other - especially female - artists of the time.
