Red Comet: A New York Times Top 10 Book of 2021

In her biography of Sylvia Plath, Heather Clark offers a balanced and comprehensive account of the poet's life, exploring her relationships, Cambridge years, and tragic suicide. Drawing on new material, Clark provides a fresh perspective on Plath's world, evoking a culture in transition and offering insights into her poetry. The book received critical acclaim, with praise for its engaging writing and depth of understanding.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 1152 pages
Publication date: 03 February 2022
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Surely the final, the definitive, biography of Sylvia Plath, written by Ali Smith, the winner of the Slightly Foxed Prize 2021. This extraordinary book has been hailed as a masterpiece by critics and readers alike.

Drawing on a wealth of new material, Heather Clark brings to life the great and tragic poet, Sylvia Plath. Refusing to read Plath's work as if her every act was a harbinger of her fate, Clark evokes a culture in transition in the mid-twentieth century as she thoroughly explores Sylvia's world. We see Plath's early relationships and determination not to become a conventional woman and wife; we witness her Cambridge years and thunderclap meeting with Ted Hughes; and, through clear-eyed portraits of the demonized players in the arena of her suicide, we gain a deeper understanding of her final days.

Featuring illuminating readings of Plath's poems, Red Comet brings us closer than ever to the spirited woman and visionary artist who blazed a trail that still lights the way for women the world over.

A first-class biography, each chapter reads with the ease of a novel. I couldn't put it down.

The Times

Weight: 1168g
Dimension: 155 x 235 x 53 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529113143