Sylvia Plath Reads

by Sylvia Plath

" . . . a young woman who . . . rose from the dead to become, in ten driven years, the best - the most exciting and influential, the most ruthlessly original poet of her generation." -- John Updike

Of the many American poets who reached her zenith in the last few decades, perhaps none looms so large as the legendary Sylvia Plath. Consummately crafted, Plath's poetry is stormy but luminous, sharp but poignant. This unique, compelling and intriguing recording has been heralded as "a significant tribute to and record of the lyric art that Sylvia Plath left to the literary heritage of America." (Booklist)

Contents:



The Ghost's Leavetaking
November Graveyard
On the Plethora of Dryads
The Moon Was a Fat Woman Once
Nocturne
Child's Park Stones
The Earthenware Head
On the Difficulty of Conjuring up a Dryad
Green Rock--Winthrop Bay
On the Decline of Oracles
The Goring
Ouija
The Beggars of Benidorm Market
Sculptor
The Disquieting Muses
Spinster
Parliament Hill Fields
The Stones
Candles
Mushrooms
Berck-plage
The Surgeon at 2 A.M.

Genres: Poetry, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Classics

Audio Cassette

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer, widely regarded as one of the most influential and emotionally powerful authors of the 20th century. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she demonstrated literary talent from an early age, publishing her first poem at the age of eight. Her early life was shaped by the death of her father, Otto Plath, when she was eight years old, a trauma that would profoundly influence her later work.
Plath attended Smith College, where she excelled academically but also struggled privately with depression. In 1953, she survived a suicide attempt, an experience she later fictionalized in her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar. After recovering, she earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Newnham College, Cambridge, in England. While there, she met and married English poet Ted Hughes in 1956. Their relationship was passionate but tumultuous, with tensions exacerbated by personal differences and Hughes's infidelities.
Throughout her life, Plath sought to balance her ambitions as a writer with the demands of marriage and motherhood. She had two children with Hughes, Frieda and Nicholas, and continued to write prolifically. In 1960, her first poetry collection, The Colossus and Other Poems, was published in the United Kingdom. Although it received modest critical attention at the time, it laid the foundation for her distinctive voice—intensely personal, often exploring themes of death, rebirth, and female identity.
Plath's marriage unraveled in 1962, leading to a period of intense emotional turmoil but also extraordinary creative output. Living with her two children in London, she wrote many of the poems that would posthumously form Ariel, the collection that would cement her literary legacy. These works, filled with striking imagery and raw emotional force, displayed her ability to turn personal suffering into powerful art. Poems like "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus" remain among her most famous, celebrated for their fierce honesty and technical brilliance.
In early 1963, following a deepening depression, Plath died by suicide at the age of 30. Her death shocked the literary world and sparked a lasting fascination with her life and work. The posthumous publication of Ariel in 1965, edited by Hughes, introduced Plath's later poetry to a wide audience and established her as a major figure in modern literature. Her novel The Bell Jar was also published under her own name shortly after her death, having initially appeared under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas."
Plath’s work is often classified within the genre of confessional poetry, a style that emphasizes personal and psychological experiences. Her fearless exploration of themes like mental illness, female oppression, and death has resonated with generations of readers and scholars. Over time, Plath has become a feminist icon, though her legacy is complex and occasionally controversial, especially in light of debates over Hughes's role in managing her literary estate and personal history.
Today, Sylvia Plath is remembered not only for her tragic personal story but also for her immense contributions to American and English literature. Her work continues to inspire writers, artists, and readers worldwide. Collections such as Ariel, Crossing the Water, and Winter Trees, as well as her journals and letters, offer deep insight into her creative mind. Sylvia Plath’s voice, marked by its intensity and emotional clarity, remains one of the most haunting and enduring in modern literature.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful - stunning images and radiant vision - haunting to hear her voice. There was so much more she could have told us; I so wish she would have been able to see how important her voice was for society to hear. Her poems always remind me to be thankful for everyday - good or bad - it belongs to to you and will only come once in your lifetime.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

She sounds older than I'd expected.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

She had one of the coolest voices ever. The only thing better than her poetry is her reading her poetry.

[Marzieh Torabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing better than her poetry is listening to her reading her poetry!

[Elizabeth Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this recording. I owned the cassette at one point. Poetry is meant to be read and it's in her voice! It doesn't get better. Truly a treasure.

[ACJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through.

[Louise Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know others studies her at school but I never did. This made me realise how human we all are and how we each strive for perfection in our own way and how we are failed by those we trust. The pressures of being a woman an in mans world are no less today then they were in the 50's and 60's but as Slyvia realised it is our own perception of these restriction that keep them real, we can decide to break the bonds if we wish, but as women we ned to be united to do this.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked these up on a whim... they sort of called out to me on the shelf.

Listening to Sylvia read her own work...it was purely haunting. Sent shivers down my spine and brought tears to my eyes.


I have always felt an odd connection to Sylvia... reading along as she spoke sort of felt at home, even if a bit mystic.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love sylvi p

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to put a voice to a name.

[Anne (Not of Green Gables) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are no accurate words to describe listening to your favourite poet speak the lines she wrote.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

are audiobooks cheating???

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only complaint is that she doesn't read the title of each work. If you aren't paying attention it's like one epic poem, but I love listening to her.