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Le ultime confessioni di Sylvia P.
Nel 2019, a più di cinquant’anni dal suicidio di Sylvia Plath, Estee, la curatrice di una piccola casa d’aste del Massachusetts, si trova a esaminare tre vecchi quaderni fitti di scrittura. Non ci mette molto a intuire che potrebbe trattarsi del manoscritto originale del romanzo La campana di vetro: una scoperta sorprendente, che la porterà a capire di essere legata alla grande scrittrice in un modo che mai avrebbe potuto immaginare.
Sul finire degli anni Cinquanta la maliziosa poetessa Boston Rhodes (dietro a cui scorgiamo la figura di Anne Sexton) racconta in prima persona la rivalità con la talentuosa Sylvia, verso la quale nutre una rancorosa invidia nonostante Plath, dal canto suo, si mostri sempre gentile e incredibilmente fragile. La relazione tra le due, fatta di infiniti chiaroscuri, rischierà di gettare Sylvia in una fatale spirale di follia e, alla fine, forgerà la sua eredità.
Pochi anni prima, nel 1953, la dottoressa Ruth Barnhouse, tra le prime psichiatre degli Stati Uniti, cura la giovane Sylvia durante i giorni bui trascorsi in un istituto psichiatrico in seguito a un tentativo di suicidio; quello che si instaurerà tra le due è ben più di un rapporto tra medico e paziente e aiuterà la brillante poetessa a tornare sulla strada della letteratura.
Le ultime confessioni di Sylvia P. è un accattivante mistery letterario in cui realtà e finzione si fondono per ridare vita a una scrittrice venerata; dai retroscena sulla nascita della Campana di vetro alla rivalità con Anne Sexton, dalla depressione alla vita matrimoniale con Ted Hughes, l’esistenza di Sylvia Plath viene riscritta attraverso tre narrazioni che, intrecciate con sapienza, compongono un romanzo audace e avvincente.
Sul finire degli anni Cinquanta la maliziosa poetessa Boston Rhodes (dietro a cui scorgiamo la figura di Anne Sexton) racconta in prima persona la rivalità con la talentuosa Sylvia, verso la quale nutre una rancorosa invidia nonostante Plath, dal canto suo, si mostri sempre gentile e incredibilmente fragile. La relazione tra le due, fatta di infiniti chiaroscuri, rischierà di gettare Sylvia in una fatale spirale di follia e, alla fine, forgerà la sua eredità.
Pochi anni prima, nel 1953, la dottoressa Ruth Barnhouse, tra le prime psichiatre degli Stati Uniti, cura la giovane Sylvia durante i giorni bui trascorsi in un istituto psichiatrico in seguito a un tentativo di suicidio; quello che si instaurerà tra le due è ben più di un rapporto tra medico e paziente e aiuterà la brillante poetessa a tornare sulla strada della letteratura.
Le ultime confessioni di Sylvia P. è un accattivante mistery letterario in cui realtà e finzione si fondono per ridare vita a una scrittrice venerata; dai retroscena sulla nascita della Campana di vetro alla rivalità con Anne Sexton, dalla depressione alla vita matrimoniale con Ted Hughes, l’esistenza di Sylvia Plath viene riscritta attraverso tre narrazioni che, intrecciate con sapienza, compongono un romanzo audace e avvincente.
300 pages, Paperback
First published March 8, 2022
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April 9, 2022
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. has been called a literary puzzle and ode to The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. It is exactly that, and I am in awe. A layered mystery epic in execution taking place over generations, the time in which Plath writes The Bell Jar is fully illuminated.
The story is narrated by Estee, an art curator who is brought the original manuscript in a worn journal, Plath’s psychiatrist, Dr. Barnhouse, and the poet, Boston Rhodes, a rival of Plath, who encourages her writing about her time in McLean Hospital when she was at her lowest and darkest; a tipping point that may have spiraled out of control.
The writing is absolutely stunning and this is quite the delicious and mysterious puzzle for any literary fan, especially fans of The Bell Jar.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
The story is narrated by Estee, an art curator who is brought the original manuscript in a worn journal, Plath’s psychiatrist, Dr. Barnhouse, and the poet, Boston Rhodes, a rival of Plath, who encourages her writing about her time in McLean Hospital when she was at her lowest and darkest; a tipping point that may have spiraled out of control.
The writing is absolutely stunning and this is quite the delicious and mysterious puzzle for any literary fan, especially fans of The Bell Jar.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
October 1, 2024
Our family book club is reading The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.. I initially started listening to it on audiobook and realized I needed to re-read The Bell Jar in order to better understand The Last Confessions of Sylvia P..
I had read The Bell Jar in high school, but that was a long time ago. Once I re-read The Bell Jar, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.. Author, Lee Kravetz, has done a phenomenal job with narrative historical fiction by opening the scene with the discovery of three of Sylvia Plath's handwritten notebooks in the attic of a home that is being renovated.
The story is told from several different points of view, including Estee, an experienced curator who is given the Plath notebooks to authenticate and auction. Plath's competitive rival poet, Boston Rhodes, shares her role and perspective as does Dr. Ruth Barnhouse who treats Plath after one of her suicide attempts.
There are many memorable passages in the book, including:
* Poets are detectives
* The line between insanity and art is a verse
* Living in rooms the size and shape of the roles we are expected to play
* The acidity of grief eats away at the truth
* Poetry can tame the burdened soul
* We can address the madness within, but we can't contain it
* Life is poetry
* Poetry is life and life is a contest
Highly recommend!
I had read The Bell Jar in high school, but that was a long time ago. Once I re-read The Bell Jar, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Last Confessions of Sylvia P.. Author, Lee Kravetz, has done a phenomenal job with narrative historical fiction by opening the scene with the discovery of three of Sylvia Plath's handwritten notebooks in the attic of a home that is being renovated.
The story is told from several different points of view, including Estee, an experienced curator who is given the Plath notebooks to authenticate and auction. Plath's competitive rival poet, Boston Rhodes, shares her role and perspective as does Dr. Ruth Barnhouse who treats Plath after one of her suicide attempts.
There are many memorable passages in the book, including:
* Poets are detectives
* The line between insanity and art is a verse
* Living in rooms the size and shape of the roles we are expected to play
* The acidity of grief eats away at the truth
* Poetry can tame the burdened soul
* We can address the madness within, but we can't contain it
* Life is poetry
* Poetry is life and life is a contest
Highly recommend!
November 21, 2021
If you are familiar with Plath’s life and work, you’ll recognize most of the characters in this nuanced and clever novel based on actual events. In 2016 or 2017 two unseen poems by Plath were discovered. In 2018 an auction of Plath’s belongings was held by Bonham’s followed by another auction held this year by Sotheby’s. Plath’s personal copy of THE BELL Jar was among the among the lots offered by Bonham’s. This seems to be the inspiration for the novel.
Estee, a curator, voices the present portion of the novel as she works to place on auction a found original manuscript of THE BELL JAR. Plath’s psychiatrist, Dr. Barnhouse, voices imagined events from the past as she treats Plath. A vicious, adversarial poet, based upon Anne Sexton, writes her side of the story as a letter to a professor of a workshop both she and Plath attended. There are plenty of surprises throughout this subtle, unexpected, and unpredictable literary puzzle.
Estee, a curator, voices the present portion of the novel as she works to place on auction a found original manuscript of THE BELL JAR. Plath’s psychiatrist, Dr. Barnhouse, voices imagined events from the past as she treats Plath. A vicious, adversarial poet, based upon Anne Sexton, writes her side of the story as a letter to a professor of a workshop both she and Plath attended. There are plenty of surprises throughout this subtle, unexpected, and unpredictable literary puzzle.
March 2, 2022
Every once in a while a book comes along that I just have a problem with. This one I had many problems with.
To start the slander of Anne Sexton. I know you say it's fiction we know it's fiction! She's not named! Yes, dear reader I know. But we know that not naming her only adds an air of intrigue. And people oft take fiction for fact. Especially when he stole so much of Annes life and put it into Boston Rhodes (even the name sounds like Annes work). This work reduces her to a vindictive competitive copycat. I was sick to my stomach.
That aside even if my friend it's not meant to be Anne (it is) the character alone is one dimensional cruel and boring. The writer of course is a man. Sorry to be this way but its true and I'm tired of men doing this to women. Let alone a great poet like Sexton. Oh and by the way friends she bears the responsibility for Sylvias death and even though Ted Hughes (who is named) asks is it my fault? Boston tells him no. And in her mind and to her mind it's HER fault. This is so disgusting given how widely known it was that Ted was abusive to Sylvia and was having affairs. But he was the great and respected Ted Hughes! So barring that it's meant to be Anne aside , the character presented to us is still awful and Ted is still glorified. Gross.
To top that off there's a drug addicted psychiatrist who also bears the responsibility for Sylvias death because you know...women.
And I'd be fine if it were a commentary on how we bear the burden on our hearts when a death like this happens but it's not that at all.
I want to add and sorry not sorry for the spoiler but the plot with the curator in the end freeing the (not real) notebooks of the Bell Jar because Sylvia would not have wanted it, not wanted that part of her life bared for the world is a big commentary on this book. Sylvia would NOT have wanted this.
Don't read.
To start the slander of Anne Sexton. I know you say it's fiction we know it's fiction! She's not named! Yes, dear reader I know. But we know that not naming her only adds an air of intrigue. And people oft take fiction for fact. Especially when he stole so much of Annes life and put it into Boston Rhodes (even the name sounds like Annes work). This work reduces her to a vindictive competitive copycat. I was sick to my stomach.
That aside even if my friend it's not meant to be Anne (it is) the character alone is one dimensional cruel and boring. The writer of course is a man. Sorry to be this way but its true and I'm tired of men doing this to women. Let alone a great poet like Sexton. Oh and by the way friends she bears the responsibility for Sylvias death and even though Ted Hughes (who is named) asks is it my fault? Boston tells him no. And in her mind and to her mind it's HER fault. This is so disgusting given how widely known it was that Ted was abusive to Sylvia and was having affairs. But he was the great and respected Ted Hughes! So barring that it's meant to be Anne aside , the character presented to us is still awful and Ted is still glorified. Gross.
To top that off there's a drug addicted psychiatrist who also bears the responsibility for Sylvias death because you know...women.
And I'd be fine if it were a commentary on how we bear the burden on our hearts when a death like this happens but it's not that at all.
I want to add and sorry not sorry for the spoiler but the plot with the curator in the end freeing the (not real) notebooks of the Bell Jar because Sylvia would not have wanted it, not wanted that part of her life bared for the world is a big commentary on this book. Sylvia would NOT have wanted this.
Don't read.
June 8, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½
Genre: Historical + Literary Fiction
This is a reimagination of Sylvia Plath’s life, specifically telling her story when she wrote her semi-autobiographical story “The Bell Jar”. The book consists of three different narratives told from the point of view of three female characters in three different timeframes that will eventually intertwine.
Estee is a skilled curator for a small auction house. She finds the original manuscript of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. The manuscript is handwritten by the author. But the surprising thing is that she is connected to the author in a way she never imagined.
Dr. Ruth Barnhouse is Sylvia’s psychiatrist and was treating her during the time she spent at McLean Hospital after her suicide attempt. Her POV is written like entries in a diary.
Boston Rhodes is a poet and Sylvia’s literary arch-rival. She is portrayed as the one who pushes Sylvia into madness due to her envy. Boston could be the reason that the author has committed suicide.
It took me some time to get used to the characters in this book, but once I did, the story moved beautifully for me. This is a very well-written book and it is amazing that this is a debut novel. I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author. The book is about Sylvia Plath but we get to see her from three unique perspectives with each one of them looking at her from a different angle. This shows the readers all the different sides of the author’s personality which greatly helps in her character development.
I feel this book is controversial because the character Boston Rhodes might be representing a real author (I will not name her) and that character is definitely not portrayed positively in this novel. But one thing we have to remember is that this book is fiction so one should not draw the conclusion that Sylvia’s real rival is the same as her rival in this book. Regardless of all this, the story is truly fascinating and made me curious to know more about Sylvia Plath and read her book The Bell Jar whenever possible. I loved it.
Genre: Historical + Literary Fiction
This is a reimagination of Sylvia Plath’s life, specifically telling her story when she wrote her semi-autobiographical story “The Bell Jar”. The book consists of three different narratives told from the point of view of three female characters in three different timeframes that will eventually intertwine.
Estee is a skilled curator for a small auction house. She finds the original manuscript of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. The manuscript is handwritten by the author. But the surprising thing is that she is connected to the author in a way she never imagined.
Dr. Ruth Barnhouse is Sylvia’s psychiatrist and was treating her during the time she spent at McLean Hospital after her suicide attempt. Her POV is written like entries in a diary.
Boston Rhodes is a poet and Sylvia’s literary arch-rival. She is portrayed as the one who pushes Sylvia into madness due to her envy. Boston could be the reason that the author has committed suicide.
It took me some time to get used to the characters in this book, but once I did, the story moved beautifully for me. This is a very well-written book and it is amazing that this is a debut novel. I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author. The book is about Sylvia Plath but we get to see her from three unique perspectives with each one of them looking at her from a different angle. This shows the readers all the different sides of the author’s personality which greatly helps in her character development.
I feel this book is controversial because the character Boston Rhodes might be representing a real author (I will not name her) and that character is definitely not portrayed positively in this novel. But one thing we have to remember is that this book is fiction so one should not draw the conclusion that Sylvia’s real rival is the same as her rival in this book. Regardless of all this, the story is truly fascinating and made me curious to know more about Sylvia Plath and read her book The Bell Jar whenever possible. I loved it.
January 18, 2023
If you ever become a reasonably famous female poet, beware. Just a few decades after your death, anyone can write a fictionalized version of the events that led up to your death.
Told through the lens of three women who were tied in some way to Sylvia Plath, male author Lee Kavetz creates largely fictional interactions, events and discussions charting the downward spiral of poor Miss Plath's mental health. Kavetz himself has no relation to the author and doesn't include any substantive documentation to enlighten us as to what is whole cloth fiction versus imagined story lines.
Alternative narratives are shared by a treating psychiatrist, an auctioneer decades after her death as well as a fictionalized professional rival who is absolutely rooting for bad things for Miss Plath.
I am no student of poetry, and perhaps if I were, maybe I would have realized realized how horribly grim the events around her death were. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until I was 3/4 of the way done with this book.
Not only did Miss Plath attempt suicide, which is made plain early in the book, but she was actually successful at it, dying before her 35th birthday.
But wait, it gets worse. Not only does she die but several years after her death the woman who her husband left her for also kills herself and their young child. And then? Well then it gets much worse. Sylvia Plaths adult child killed himself less than a decade ago.
I feel like I accidentally picked up some unholy horror story which does a massive disservice to the individuals it is based on. Those are actual facts. The Last Confession of Sylvia P is fiction that made me wonder - why is this man piling on with his two cents?
It's been 2 weeks since I resolved to not finish this book and I'm still traumatized that so much of the narrative is shown through the lens of a fictional rival poet who seeks to diminish Miss Plath at every turn. She stalks her, steals from her, bad-mouths her and blackmails those around her.
This leaves me to wonder....What is wrong with the man who wrote this book and why would he possibly include all these fictional events without including a good helping of the genius poetry that Miss Plath wrote? Kavetz takes the worst possible events in someone's life, and uses them fictionalize pettiness and women's meanness to other women.
It's all just very disappointing and seems like a way to capitalize on someone's misery.
Skip it. Skip him.
Told through the lens of three women who were tied in some way to Sylvia Plath, male author Lee Kavetz creates largely fictional interactions, events and discussions charting the downward spiral of poor Miss Plath's mental health. Kavetz himself has no relation to the author and doesn't include any substantive documentation to enlighten us as to what is whole cloth fiction versus imagined story lines.
Alternative narratives are shared by a treating psychiatrist, an auctioneer decades after her death as well as a fictionalized professional rival who is absolutely rooting for bad things for Miss Plath.
I am no student of poetry, and perhaps if I were, maybe I would have realized realized how horribly grim the events around her death were. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until I was 3/4 of the way done with this book.
Not only did Miss Plath attempt suicide, which is made plain early in the book, but she was actually successful at it, dying before her 35th birthday.
But wait, it gets worse. Not only does she die but several years after her death the woman who her husband left her for also kills herself and their young child. And then? Well then it gets much worse. Sylvia Plaths adult child killed himself less than a decade ago.
I feel like I accidentally picked up some unholy horror story which does a massive disservice to the individuals it is based on. Those are actual facts. The Last Confession of Sylvia P is fiction that made me wonder - why is this man piling on with his two cents?
It's been 2 weeks since I resolved to not finish this book and I'm still traumatized that so much of the narrative is shown through the lens of a fictional rival poet who seeks to diminish Miss Plath at every turn. She stalks her, steals from her, bad-mouths her and blackmails those around her.
This leaves me to wonder....What is wrong with the man who wrote this book and why would he possibly include all these fictional events without including a good helping of the genius poetry that Miss Plath wrote? Kavetz takes the worst possible events in someone's life, and uses them fictionalize pettiness and women's meanness to other women.
It's all just very disappointing and seems like a way to capitalize on someone's misery.
Skip it. Skip him.
February 2, 2022
3 million stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a magnificent book.
The last confessions of Sylvia P is based on Sylvia Plath’s real life leading up to her tragic death and subsequent release of The Bell Jar. Told from three perspectives across different time periods, we get a well rounded, yet fictionalized account of from one of SP’s psychologists, friend and poetry rival, and a master curator. Although this book is never told from Sylvia’s perspective, Kravetz did an exceptional job capturing her voice and weaving in her work throughout this novel.
If you’re not a Plath fanatic like me, you should still read this book! You don’t need to know anything about her life to be full immersed in the storyline. However, there are subtle nods to her work and life that definitely enhances my reading experience. This book celebrates how Plath was a pioneer in openly discussing mental health and feminism against the cultural stigmatization of these issues 50s and 60s America.
If you love a good twist, literary fiction, or SP this one is for you. This would make an excellent pick for a book club!
The last thing I’ll add is that this book reaffirms that Ted Hughes is the worst.
Thank you Harper books and Lee Kravetz for the ARC!
This is a magnificent book.
The last confessions of Sylvia P is based on Sylvia Plath’s real life leading up to her tragic death and subsequent release of The Bell Jar. Told from three perspectives across different time periods, we get a well rounded, yet fictionalized account of from one of SP’s psychologists, friend and poetry rival, and a master curator. Although this book is never told from Sylvia’s perspective, Kravetz did an exceptional job capturing her voice and weaving in her work throughout this novel.
If you’re not a Plath fanatic like me, you should still read this book! You don’t need to know anything about her life to be full immersed in the storyline. However, there are subtle nods to her work and life that definitely enhances my reading experience. This book celebrates how Plath was a pioneer in openly discussing mental health and feminism against the cultural stigmatization of these issues 50s and 60s America.
If you love a good twist, literary fiction, or SP this one is for you. This would make an excellent pick for a book club!
The last thing I’ll add is that this book reaffirms that Ted Hughes is the worst.
Thank you Harper books and Lee Kravetz for the ARC!
March 10, 2022
*sigh* Okay. So. A few things. Number one. I'm not sure exactly why I picked up this book??? Based on the description, it's about Sylvia's time writing the Bell Jar. Which is one of my least favorite books of all time. So I don't know what possessed me to think reading about writing that book would be a good idea?
Except that's not actually what this book is about. It has an incredibly misleading premise and what I expected from this book is definitely not what I got. For a book about Sylvia Plath, this book has a very disturbing lack of Sylvia Plath. She's a background character, if that.
No, what this book is actually about is three random other people who just happen to mention Sylvia sometimes and interact with her occasionally. But it's actually about their own problems an inner monologues and dreams. Which. Why say this is a reimagining of Sylvia's life if this book has very little to do with Sylvia. Yes, she's the common theme between these three women but you could've swapped in literally aNY OTHER PERSON and got the same story??
So. That was my main problem with this. I think it was marketed wrong and, because of that, honestly didn't really enjoy it. While reading this, I found that I was actually interested in Sylvia's life and was frustrated that so little of it made it into the pages of this book.
My favorite bits were the parts where Sylvia was in McLean Hospital (so the parts that actually influenced the Bell Jar and, you know, were actually about Sylvia??? Well, mostly). I wish this whole book had covered that. I would've been much more interested in reading about Sylvia's time and recovery there than what this actually was: a thinly veiled slander of the life of Anne Sexton.
So. This was just not my thing? I enjoyed parts of it and the writing was BEAUTIFUL but overall I just felt very meh about the whole thing. If you're looking for more about Sylvia, probably read her own journals? I realize this is fiction but honestly its biggest connection to Sylvia is the title. Beyond that, she's mostly just a side character. Anyway. It's done and I can be on to other things.
Thank you to Harper for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!
Except that's not actually what this book is about. It has an incredibly misleading premise and what I expected from this book is definitely not what I got. For a book about Sylvia Plath, this book has a very disturbing lack of Sylvia Plath. She's a background character, if that.
No, what this book is actually about is three random other people who just happen to mention Sylvia sometimes and interact with her occasionally. But it's actually about their own problems an inner monologues and dreams. Which. Why say this is a reimagining of Sylvia's life if this book has very little to do with Sylvia. Yes, she's the common theme between these three women but you could've swapped in literally aNY OTHER PERSON and got the same story??
So. That was my main problem with this. I think it was marketed wrong and, because of that, honestly didn't really enjoy it. While reading this, I found that I was actually interested in Sylvia's life and was frustrated that so little of it made it into the pages of this book.
My favorite bits were the parts where Sylvia was in McLean Hospital (so the parts that actually influenced the Bell Jar and, you know, were actually about Sylvia??? Well, mostly). I wish this whole book had covered that. I would've been much more interested in reading about Sylvia's time and recovery there than what this actually was: a thinly veiled slander of the life of Anne Sexton.
So. This was just not my thing? I enjoyed parts of it and the writing was BEAUTIFUL but overall I just felt very meh about the whole thing. If you're looking for more about Sylvia, probably read her own journals? I realize this is fiction but honestly its biggest connection to Sylvia is the title. Beyond that, she's mostly just a side character. Anyway. It's done and I can be on to other things.
Thank you to Harper for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!
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March 13, 2022A historical fiction book about the life of Sylvia Plath!? Yes, please! Many thanks to Harper Books for allowing me to read an early copy of this book. I read The Bell Jar so many times, I could practically recite it and have long been obsessed with Sylvia Plath. I absolutely loved this historical fiction account of her life during the time she wrote The Bell Jar.
This story is told from three perspectives and dual timelines. First, we meet Estee who is the curator who prepares the original notebooks where Plath wrote The Bell Jar for auction. Struggling with her own past, Estee must confront those demons in order to remain impartial and do her job. Then there is Boston Rhodes, a poet who feels that Plath is her only obstacle to greatness and whom becomes obsessed with Plath and, ultimately, pushes Plath to write about her experiences which later become The Bell Jar. Finally, Dr. Barnhouse who treats Plath during her time at McLean Hospital.
I thought this was a brilliantly written glimpse into the life of Sylvia Plath, told through the eyes of those around her. I absolutely loved the writing and the chance to revisit an old friend. While I didn't wholly love all the characters (I think that was the point), I loved the book. I would definitely check this one out if you are Plath fan, and even if you aren't, you will still enjoy this book!!
This story is told from three perspectives and dual timelines. First, we meet Estee who is the curator who prepares the original notebooks where Plath wrote The Bell Jar for auction. Struggling with her own past, Estee must confront those demons in order to remain impartial and do her job. Then there is Boston Rhodes, a poet who feels that Plath is her only obstacle to greatness and whom becomes obsessed with Plath and, ultimately, pushes Plath to write about her experiences which later become The Bell Jar. Finally, Dr. Barnhouse who treats Plath during her time at McLean Hospital.
I thought this was a brilliantly written glimpse into the life of Sylvia Plath, told through the eyes of those around her. I absolutely loved the writing and the chance to revisit an old friend. While I didn't wholly love all the characters (I think that was the point), I loved the book. I would definitely check this one out if you are Plath fan, and even if you aren't, you will still enjoy this book!!
March 22, 2022
I picked this up because it was new, and then wished I hadn't. I fear this bit of literary "history" was totally wasted on me: I read Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" many years ago and found it mostly sad. I have little to no interest in contemporary poetry. I wouldn't have known that the most unlikeable character in the book was based on the poet Anne Sexton if I hadn't read Goodreads comments. And I do NOT much care to read books by male authors who feel free to characterize women as mean, spiteful and competitive.
March 20, 2022
I read a review or maybe it was marketing materials a month ago comparing this book to The Hours, one of my all-time favorite books, and I would say that the format is similar in that there are multiple narratives that support each other in some way.
The narratives are: 1) the professional and personal struggles of the psychiatrist treating Sylvia (and Robert Lowell) at McLean, 2) a character clearly based on Anne Sexton, (named Boston Rhodes), whom I don’t find to be particularly Anne Sextony and whose depth is limited to being in competition with Plath, thinks that she’s the cause of Plath’s suicide, and 3) a modern-day curator for the auction house that has in its possession a found handwritten manuscript of The Bell Jar is retiring, and is the daughter of someone very heavily involved with one of the other narratives.
Granted, some years have passed, but from 1996-1999 I read every piece of Anne Sexton I could find (poems, letters, bios), and I do not recall her having so much animosity toward Plath. Have the years erased my memory or is this author looking to create drama? How dare women work cooperatively rather than in competition!
Other details from the book that I won’t call “factually inaccurate,” but that I did find distracting:
* The author refers to The Atlantic Monthly as The Atlantic, which It didn’t become until the 2000s. Did Boston folks just call it that? I always heard both words of the title back in the day, and
* The author makes mention of figs growing in Massachusetts, which, while not impossible, is very unusual, as they’re not very hardy. I think you’d have to keep them potted and bring them in during the winter.
I guess a book is what you bring to it, and to this one I brought my skeptical eyebrow and bad attitude. I’m going to reread the Diane Middlebrook bio of Sexton soon to see if it changes this review.
The narratives are: 1) the professional and personal struggles of the psychiatrist treating Sylvia (and Robert Lowell) at McLean, 2) a character clearly based on Anne Sexton, (named Boston Rhodes), whom I don’t find to be particularly Anne Sextony and whose depth is limited to being in competition with Plath, thinks that she’s the cause of Plath’s suicide, and 3) a modern-day curator for the auction house that has in its possession a found handwritten manuscript of The Bell Jar is retiring, and is the daughter of someone very heavily involved with one of the other narratives.
Granted, some years have passed, but from 1996-1999 I read every piece of Anne Sexton I could find (poems, letters, bios), and I do not recall her having so much animosity toward Plath. Have the years erased my memory or is this author looking to create drama? How dare women work cooperatively rather than in competition!
Other details from the book that I won’t call “factually inaccurate,” but that I did find distracting:
* The author refers to The Atlantic Monthly as The Atlantic, which It didn’t become until the 2000s. Did Boston folks just call it that? I always heard both words of the title back in the day, and
* The author makes mention of figs growing in Massachusetts, which, while not impossible, is very unusual, as they’re not very hardy. I think you’d have to keep them potted and bring them in during the winter.
I guess a book is what you bring to it, and to this one I brought my skeptical eyebrow and bad attitude. I’m going to reread the Diane Middlebrook bio of Sexton soon to see if it changes this review.
March 25, 2022
Poor ol' Sylvia Plath. No resting in peace for her, ever.
Wish I'd re-read The Bell Jar this afternoon instead of spending time on the forced & formulaic book The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. by Lee Kravetz.
I'm probably in the minority with my take. So be it. It just didn't ring true to me.
Also? I'd say that if you haven't read The Bell Jar and aren't familiar with Ms Plath's life and death, then this book won't make as much sense to you as it would otherwise.
Onward!
Wish I'd re-read The Bell Jar this afternoon instead of spending time on the forced & formulaic book The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. by Lee Kravetz.
I'm probably in the minority with my take. So be it. It just didn't ring true to me.
Also? I'd say that if you haven't read The Bell Jar and aren't familiar with Ms Plath's life and death, then this book won't make as much sense to you as it would otherwise.
Onward!
April 17, 2025
Got this book in a little bookshop when I was visiting Sausalito. Local author. I love Sylvia Plath and this historical fictionalized book based on true events was a good read.
January 18, 2022
First off, I am a huge fan of Sylvia Plath’s work. Both The Bell Jar and Ariel are two of my all-time favorite works. I'm not sure that I would have survived high school without the Bell Jar. So needless to say I was beyond ecstatic to receive a book centered around one of my all-time favorite authors!
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P is a historical fiction novel that reimagines how the Bell Jar was written.
At present time, Estee is a seasoned curator at an auction house when she discovers the original manuscript of The Bell Jar, written in Sylvia’s journal.
In 1953 Dr. Ruth Barnhouse is a psychiatrist who treats Sylvia while she is a patient at McLean hospital after a suicide attempt, motivates Sylvia to become the phenom that the world knows today.
In 1958 Fellow rival poet Boston Rhodes pushes Plath to write about her experiences while she was admitted to McLean hospital and ultimately forging her legacy.
This exquisite story is told through Estee’s, Dr. Ruth’s, and Boston’s point of view with alternating timelines.
I love it when a literary figure becomes the central focus of a book. In The Last Confessions of Sylvia P, we see who Sylvia Plath is through the eyes of three extraordinary women. The narration of these three women flowed tremendously to create an unforgettable story. At the center of this tale is a mystery that is pieced together by all three narratives.
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P is storytelling at it's finest. A massive congratulations to Lee Kravitz for writing such a brilliant debut novel! I highly recommend The Last Confessions of Sylvia P to all fans of the author, fans of The Bell Jar, as well as people who love a good historical fiction work.
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P will be available on March 8. A huge thanks to Harper Books for the gifted copy!
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P is a historical fiction novel that reimagines how the Bell Jar was written.
At present time, Estee is a seasoned curator at an auction house when she discovers the original manuscript of The Bell Jar, written in Sylvia’s journal.
In 1953 Dr. Ruth Barnhouse is a psychiatrist who treats Sylvia while she is a patient at McLean hospital after a suicide attempt, motivates Sylvia to become the phenom that the world knows today.
In 1958 Fellow rival poet Boston Rhodes pushes Plath to write about her experiences while she was admitted to McLean hospital and ultimately forging her legacy.
This exquisite story is told through Estee’s, Dr. Ruth’s, and Boston’s point of view with alternating timelines.
I love it when a literary figure becomes the central focus of a book. In The Last Confessions of Sylvia P, we see who Sylvia Plath is through the eyes of three extraordinary women. The narration of these three women flowed tremendously to create an unforgettable story. At the center of this tale is a mystery that is pieced together by all three narratives.
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P is storytelling at it's finest. A massive congratulations to Lee Kravitz for writing such a brilliant debut novel! I highly recommend The Last Confessions of Sylvia P to all fans of the author, fans of The Bell Jar, as well as people who love a good historical fiction work.
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P will be available on March 8. A huge thanks to Harper Books for the gifted copy!
dnf
May 26, 2022DNF 100 pages in. I didn’t understand some of the plot and character development choices, which actually seem antithetical to what we know about Plath, Sexton, and Kumin. But the straw that broke the camel’s back is that sometimes men just shouldn’t try to write women.
May 1, 2022
The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. is the story of how Sylvia Plath came to write her famous novel, The Bell Jar, which is a thinly veiled memoir about Sylvia Plath's time in McLean Hospital. But it's really also the story of the birth of confessional poetry. This book talks about the way several people influenced her and how she (and her novel) influenced them—the story cascades throughout history over thirty-five years.
I liked how the book was written from a point of view in the hospital. Reading about some of the treatments done during the time was crazy. We would never dream of doing them today. Also, the way they analyzed the patients were very different. One scene about the shock treatments read, "Behind the bed is a number dial with a voltage symbol that lights. It is at this moment each session that Miss Plath appears most tormented, not with terror, but with shame. Her eyes close, and at the press of a red button, her back arches, and her shoulders strain. The violence rages through her and mollifies into small, melodic spasms. Though she is out, her body continues to fight, kick, and drum against the mattress. When the internal wave crests, her muscles ease. She remains still like this for another thirty minutes. As promised, I sit by her side and wait for her to wake. The clicking of the clock's second-hand mirrors her delicate pulse. Do I believe the treatment is effective and affords Miss Plath a semblance of inner stillness? I do, and yet it remains a shallow inner peace. Despite fleeting flashes of euphoria that follow each session, her depression deepens. She remains contemptuous, self-critical, and withdrawn."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/lee...
I liked how the book was written from a point of view in the hospital. Reading about some of the treatments done during the time was crazy. We would never dream of doing them today. Also, the way they analyzed the patients were very different. One scene about the shock treatments read, "Behind the bed is a number dial with a voltage symbol that lights. It is at this moment each session that Miss Plath appears most tormented, not with terror, but with shame. Her eyes close, and at the press of a red button, her back arches, and her shoulders strain. The violence rages through her and mollifies into small, melodic spasms. Though she is out, her body continues to fight, kick, and drum against the mattress. When the internal wave crests, her muscles ease. She remains still like this for another thirty minutes. As promised, I sit by her side and wait for her to wake. The clicking of the clock's second-hand mirrors her delicate pulse. Do I believe the treatment is effective and affords Miss Plath a semblance of inner stillness? I do, and yet it remains a shallow inner peace. Despite fleeting flashes of euphoria that follow each session, her depression deepens. She remains contemptuous, self-critical, and withdrawn."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/lee...
April 23, 2022
You have got to be kidding me with this book. I understand it’s an historical novel and as fiction, there are liberties that will be taken. However…
1) Sylvia and Ted were absolutely not wealthy globetrotting jet setters who hung out with celebrities. This is just laughable.
2) “The Rival” was not written or published during the Lowell workshop period. This fact undermines a key element of the entire plot point.
3) There is zero evidence that Sexton (Boston Rhodes in this novel) had such vicious animosity and hatred for Plath. In fact, they occasionally corresponded when Plath moved back to England. Sexton did have serious mental health issues, but to paint her in such an evil light is just horrendous and becomes incredibly tiresome by the novel’s end.
4) The action at the end of the novel is unbelievably ludicrous. I do not, for one minute, believe that an experienced auction curator (even if she is related to literary royalty) and an esteemed literary restorer would commit the action they did.
Overall, the writing is good, but the depictions of the characters themselves were so off base from the truth that I found myself many times wanting to throw the book across the room. It appears — despite the few sources credited in the acknowledgements — that the author did a rudimentary google and wiki search on Plath and then ran with it.
If you are a mid century confessional poet fan, aficionado, scholar, or just dabbler, don’t take this nonsense for much value. It’s not a “mystery” as claimed in the description. It’s using poetry canon names for clout and hanging a ridiculous story line on it in the process.
1) Sylvia and Ted were absolutely not wealthy globetrotting jet setters who hung out with celebrities. This is just laughable.
2) “The Rival” was not written or published during the Lowell workshop period. This fact undermines a key element of the entire plot point.
3) There is zero evidence that Sexton (Boston Rhodes in this novel) had such vicious animosity and hatred for Plath. In fact, they occasionally corresponded when Plath moved back to England. Sexton did have serious mental health issues, but to paint her in such an evil light is just horrendous and becomes incredibly tiresome by the novel’s end.
4) The action at the end of the novel is unbelievably ludicrous. I do not, for one minute, believe that an experienced auction curator (even if she is related to literary royalty) and an esteemed literary restorer would commit the action they did.
Overall, the writing is good, but the depictions of the characters themselves were so off base from the truth that I found myself many times wanting to throw the book across the room. It appears — despite the few sources credited in the acknowledgements — that the author did a rudimentary google and wiki search on Plath and then ran with it.
If you are a mid century confessional poet fan, aficionado, scholar, or just dabbler, don’t take this nonsense for much value. It’s not a “mystery” as claimed in the description. It’s using poetry canon names for clout and hanging a ridiculous story line on it in the process.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2022
Having recently first read The Bell Jar in anticipation of this book I was a tad disappointed. I think if I hadn't recently read it and read it awhile back I may have enjoyed this one more.
I felt this was a retelling of The Bell Jar through the eyes of 3 people close to Sylvia Plath. With that out of the way this was in truth a good book. Well written and a unique way to tell The Bell Jar. I just wanted more.
There was the curator in 2019 who came into the possession of the first draft of The Bell Jar. One noone knew existed. She wanted to know how it came to be that it was hidden and who had it.
There was another great female poet who worked closely with Sylvia and felt in competition with her. She made several attempts to sabotage her. Did her secret actions ultimately help in resulting Sylvia taking her own life?
Lastly, and my favorite part, was the doctor who treated Syvia in the asylum. She felt as if she failed as we all know how this story ends.
All these people tie together in the end and it's a great twist on the original story. I don't know what I was really looking for more but I just didn't love it like The Bell Jar.
Thank you to Harper Collins Publisher for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book won in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I felt this was a retelling of The Bell Jar through the eyes of 3 people close to Sylvia Plath. With that out of the way this was in truth a good book. Well written and a unique way to tell The Bell Jar. I just wanted more.
There was the curator in 2019 who came into the possession of the first draft of The Bell Jar. One noone knew existed. She wanted to know how it came to be that it was hidden and who had it.
There was another great female poet who worked closely with Sylvia and felt in competition with her. She made several attempts to sabotage her. Did her secret actions ultimately help in resulting Sylvia taking her own life?
Lastly, and my favorite part, was the doctor who treated Syvia in the asylum. She felt as if she failed as we all know how this story ends.
All these people tie together in the end and it's a great twist on the original story. I don't know what I was really looking for more but I just didn't love it like The Bell Jar.
Thank you to Harper Collins Publisher for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book won in a Goodreads Giveaway.
December 13, 2021
I received this as a e-galley from NetGalley.
I maybe knew too much about the time period & the folks involved - but the premise of this book annoyed me a little? The original character was obviously based on Anne Sexton (who was also in the seminar that the OC and Sylvia were in) was never mentioned?!!
I maybe knew too much about the time period & the folks involved - but the premise of this book annoyed me a little? The original character was obviously based on Anne Sexton (who was also in the seminar that the OC and Sylvia were in) was never mentioned?!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2025
Molto intrigante l’idea alla base di questo libro, ma ho avuto la netta impressione che l’autore sia stato troppo parziale nel condividere la sua personale versione dei fatti, tutto sommato parecchio fantasiosa e velatamente """maschilista""". Va benissimo che essendo un romanzo contenga eventi romanzati, però penso che la verità biograficamente riconosciuta avrebbe dovuto esserci e non essere stravolta da teorie fantasiose, soprattutto se queste ultime fanno prendere una piega poco lusinghiera al tutto.
In definitiva penso che questo libro possa essere affascinante come esercizio letterario, ma:
* Si prende troppe libertà creative.
* Crea personaggi ispirati a figure reali non trattandoli con giustizia (vedi Anne Sexton). Nel contempo sceglie di deresponsabilizzare i personaggi realmente problematici (vedi il marito di Sylvia, Ted Hughes)
* Tende a mitizzare Sylvia Plath come “poetessa tragica” ma il risultato è un'immagine troppo astratta del dolore di Sylvia, priva di responsabilità esterne.
Dalle premesse mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso.
In definitiva penso che questo libro possa essere affascinante come esercizio letterario, ma:
* Si prende troppe libertà creative.
* Crea personaggi ispirati a figure reali non trattandoli con giustizia (vedi Anne Sexton). Nel contempo sceglie di deresponsabilizzare i personaggi realmente problematici (vedi il marito di Sylvia, Ted Hughes)
* Tende a mitizzare Sylvia Plath come “poetessa tragica” ma il risultato è un'immagine troppo astratta del dolore di Sylvia, priva di responsabilità esterne.
Dalle premesse mi aspettavo qualcosa di diverso.
April 13, 2022
You know how when you read a historical fiction novel, there are almost always at the end, “Author’s Notes,” or some equivalent? They will relay things like which characters are fictionalized, how they toggled a date to make it fit the parameters of their story, etc. In short they make an honest effort to separate fact from fiction. I was really ticked off and majorly disappointed to reach the end and find NOTHING. A BIG FAT ZERO.
As readers of HF, you’ll often see assumptions, a side story that is made up by the author to enhance the story, perhaps combining lesser known people or acts into one key character. The author’s notes or whatever is not a confession where readers should forgive the author. No no no. The author separates fact from fiction or where they altered facts to fit a timeline, again, etc. Their final words are centered around the spectacular, painstaking research they’ve done. I know you know what I mean.
I love this story. The writing is superb. I liked the three different voices. Then it implodes.
Boston Rhodes is so thinly-veiled as Anne Sexton, but it goes so far off track the train wrecks. Anne Sexton is fictionally sabotaged, slayed and slandered. It would make for a pretty damn fine story if THE WHOLE THING was fiction. It ruins it for me.
And still I give it four stars. I devoured the thing till my eyes bled. I love the works of Sylvia Plath and she was a remarkable person.
I know that Anne Sexton was a very troubled and complex person. However, her participation in this novel is hogwash. It goes too far.
As readers of HF, you’ll often see assumptions, a side story that is made up by the author to enhance the story, perhaps combining lesser known people or acts into one key character. The author’s notes or whatever is not a confession where readers should forgive the author. No no no. The author separates fact from fiction or where they altered facts to fit a timeline, again, etc. Their final words are centered around the spectacular, painstaking research they’ve done. I know you know what I mean.
I love this story. The writing is superb. I liked the three different voices. Then it implodes.
Boston Rhodes is so thinly-veiled as Anne Sexton, but it goes so far off track the train wrecks. Anne Sexton is fictionally sabotaged, slayed and slandered. It would make for a pretty damn fine story if THE WHOLE THING was fiction. It ruins it for me.
And still I give it four stars. I devoured the thing till my eyes bled. I love the works of Sylvia Plath and she was a remarkable person.
I know that Anne Sexton was a very troubled and complex person. However, her participation in this novel is hogwash. It goes too far.
October 24, 2021
2022 has many debut novels coming into publication, which might be one positive consequence of quarantine. Lee Kravetz's debut novel is a shining example of how to take a well known literary figure and give them voice in a work of fiction. Kravetz paints the person of Sylvia Plath, not through a retelling of her book, The Bell Jar, or by narrating her writing process for poetry, but he shows the image of Sylvia through the eyes of three women connected to Plath. We meet the historian/curator who wants to preserve Plath's handwritten notebooks, the poetic rival who saw Plath as a foe wanting to destroy her career, and the psychiatrist who treated Plath at an asylum when Plath was in her 20s. These women were exceptionally written, their voices were their own, and they each provided a picture of Sylvia Plath that added to the story and added to the reader's understanding of this mythical poet. The narration flowed well between the three voices, three timelines, and through the stanza breaks. Anyone who loves Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar, poetry, history, and simply a great story will want to read this book. It will be added to many booklists and reading lists because it is a fantastic read. I hope that Kravetz will continue writing novels because I want to read more of his fictional work.
March 3, 2022
What is it with this trend of replacing a real person with a revised fictional one. First The Christie Affair and now this book.
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Is it well written? Yes. Very. But it also has a thinly disguised Anne Sexton playing Salieri to Sylvia Plath’s Mozart. I found myself reading to the end more to get to the author’s notes than out of any sense of urgency to know the end.
People who love Sylvia Plath will love this book. She is portrayed here as a literary goddess beloved by all her know her (with the exception of her rival). I know that Sexton was an incredibly messed up person who left a lot of disaster in her wake, but I had a hard time picturing her being that paranoid and insecure as portrayed. (And yes, I know the character of Boston Rhodes was fictional, but it was very clear who inspired her. ). Her sections are uncomfortable, but the best written. She is the perfect unreliable narrator. I found the other narrators hard to like.
I will also give Kravetz props though for his ability to weave the three storylines together. His story structure is top notch
I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Is it well written? Yes. Very. But it also has a thinly disguised Anne Sexton playing Salieri to Sylvia Plath’s Mozart. I found myself reading to the end more to get to the author’s notes than out of any sense of urgency to know the end.
People who love Sylvia Plath will love this book. She is portrayed here as a literary goddess beloved by all her know her (with the exception of her rival). I know that Sexton was an incredibly messed up person who left a lot of disaster in her wake, but I had a hard time picturing her being that paranoid and insecure as portrayed. (And yes, I know the character of Boston Rhodes was fictional, but it was very clear who inspired her. ). Her sections are uncomfortable, but the best written. She is the perfect unreliable narrator. I found the other narrators hard to like.
I will also give Kravetz props though for his ability to weave the three storylines together. His story structure is top notch
January 6, 2023
i may be alone in my feelings on this, but i hated this book. i feel it reduces Plath to a caricature, an act laden with disrespect for the textured and nuanced life of the actual person who lived. he even has her using a kind of stock phrasing over and over. can we please stop creating a fantasy of drama between brilliant women poets? it’s exploitative. Plath and Anne Sexton (whom the narrator Boston Rhodes is loosely based upon) did not hate each other. i also found the “mystery” of the novel to be predictable and boring. as someone who loves Plath (she is a huge special interest of mine and i read everything i can about or relating to her as well as reading her actual work), this book was a huge disappointment. i would not recommend it.
August 17, 2022
After listening to the book I can guarantee "The Bell Jar" will be one of my next novels to listen to. I certainly hope it's as good. I loved the three POVs portrayed in the story and how their lives blended together. The narrators did a fabulous job.
May 24, 2024
Se ami Sylvia Plath non puoi non leggere questo romanzo! 🩷
Lee Kravetz ridà voce alla poetessa statunitense e lo fa mischiando realtà e finzione. Il risultato è quello di un esordio super originale, coinvolgente, emozionante, con un pizzico di mistero che tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine!
Il libro è suddiviso in stanze invece che in capitoli, proprio come avviene nella poesia, e la narrazione prende vita grazie all’alternarsi di tre punti di vista differenti, appartenenti a tre donne differenti e in epoche differenti.
Estee, curatrice di una piccola casa d'aste, trova il manoscritto originale, suddiviso in tre quaderni, de “𝐿𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝑑𝑖 𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑜” di Sylvia Plath. Durante le ricerche condotte per accertarne l’originalità, Estee scoprirà di essere legata a Sylvia più di quanto creda! Estee ci racconta il suo punto di vista in prima persona.
Boston Rhodes, anch’essa poetessa, è la rivale di Sylvia, e sarà pronta a tutto pur di emergere, anche esserle amica. L’invidia nei confronti della Plath la spingerà a compiere atti folli. Il suo punto di vista viene raccontato attraverso una lettera indirizzata al Professor Lowell, docente di poesia di entrambe le poetesse.
La Dottoressa Ruth Barnhouse (il personaggio che ho preferito di più in questa storia) è la psichiatra di Sylvia durante il periodo in cui era rinchiusa al McLean Hospital dopo il suo primo tentativo di suicidio. Il racconto della Dottoressa Barnhouse è narrato sotto forma di diario.
Attraverso le storie di queste tre donne Sylvia riprende vita con tutte le sue fragilità e debolezze, con quel suo strano amore per la vita che però al tempo stesso non le faceva altro che desiderare la morte, avvenuta poi a soli trent’anni.
Man mano che leggiamo scopriamo che queste tre figure femminili oltre ad essere legate a Sylvia, sono anche legate tra loro, il che rende l’intreccio ancora più interessante.
Kravetz ha scritto un romanzo avvincente che conferisce alla figura di Sylvia Plath una voce nuova, fresca e originale e che soprattutto rende omaggio alla sua opera e alla sua eredità.
Lee Kravetz ridà voce alla poetessa statunitense e lo fa mischiando realtà e finzione. Il risultato è quello di un esordio super originale, coinvolgente, emozionante, con un pizzico di mistero che tiene il lettore incollato alle pagine!
Il libro è suddiviso in stanze invece che in capitoli, proprio come avviene nella poesia, e la narrazione prende vita grazie all’alternarsi di tre punti di vista differenti, appartenenti a tre donne differenti e in epoche differenti.
Estee, curatrice di una piccola casa d'aste, trova il manoscritto originale, suddiviso in tre quaderni, de “𝐿𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝑑𝑖 𝑣𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑜” di Sylvia Plath. Durante le ricerche condotte per accertarne l’originalità, Estee scoprirà di essere legata a Sylvia più di quanto creda! Estee ci racconta il suo punto di vista in prima persona.
Boston Rhodes, anch’essa poetessa, è la rivale di Sylvia, e sarà pronta a tutto pur di emergere, anche esserle amica. L’invidia nei confronti della Plath la spingerà a compiere atti folli. Il suo punto di vista viene raccontato attraverso una lettera indirizzata al Professor Lowell, docente di poesia di entrambe le poetesse.
La Dottoressa Ruth Barnhouse (il personaggio che ho preferito di più in questa storia) è la psichiatra di Sylvia durante il periodo in cui era rinchiusa al McLean Hospital dopo il suo primo tentativo di suicidio. Il racconto della Dottoressa Barnhouse è narrato sotto forma di diario.
Attraverso le storie di queste tre donne Sylvia riprende vita con tutte le sue fragilità e debolezze, con quel suo strano amore per la vita che però al tempo stesso non le faceva altro che desiderare la morte, avvenuta poi a soli trent’anni.
Man mano che leggiamo scopriamo che queste tre figure femminili oltre ad essere legate a Sylvia, sono anche legate tra loro, il che rende l’intreccio ancora più interessante.
Kravetz ha scritto un romanzo avvincente che conferisce alla figura di Sylvia Plath una voce nuova, fresca e originale e che soprattutto rende omaggio alla sua opera e alla sua eredità.
January 7, 2024
5 Stars ✨ I can tell by glancing at the reviews that this book is “one of those”. One of those books that people either love or hate. And boy do they hate it with the power of 1,000 suns when they hate it. But me? I loved it.
The Bell Jar is one of my absolute favorites. I’ve read all of Plath’s Poetry books plus the tome of a book that is her Unabridged Journals. I’ve read a book about her relationship with Ted Hughes (yes, he’s actually The Worst). It’s safe to say I’d read just about anything relating to Sylvia Plath. This novel (historical fiction!) was right up my alley. I know it isn’t how things actually happened, but I loved this interpretation.
The web this author weaved! I loved it. Everything related and came back around. Rarely does a book do that so succinctly and inventively. A+, really.
The Bell Jar is one of my absolute favorites. I’ve read all of Plath’s Poetry books plus the tome of a book that is her Unabridged Journals. I’ve read a book about her relationship with Ted Hughes (yes, he’s actually The Worst). It’s safe to say I’d read just about anything relating to Sylvia Plath. This novel (historical fiction!) was right up my alley. I know it isn’t how things actually happened, but I loved this interpretation.
The web this author weaved! I loved it. Everything related and came back around. Rarely does a book do that so succinctly and inventively. A+, really.
May 14, 2022
Well written good enough story, but slow. I was never captivated by this book.
January 12, 2025
“People are always changing, and yet it can take so very little to return us to the person we once were, said the venom voice. What did I think would happen once I tipped her back into madness?”
January 3, 2022
It’s not often that you come across a book that keeps you on the couch in your PJs all day reading. The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. is one of those books. Now I could say all the things about the elegant, crisp prose, the confessional style akin to Sylvia Plath and her contemporaries, the rich unfolding of the story and its mysteries, etc. because it’s all there in spades. But I’ll leave that to the professionals. As a reader, I love books where you see the world through the narrator’s eyes and hear their voice inside your head as you read. Lee Kravitz delivers that experience in three unique perspectives and voices. And not once was I disappointed to move onto the next character, which is rare. This is truly a wonderful book that will stick with you long after you’ve read the last word. Enjoy!
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