The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

[lightreads]

The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath, edited by Karen Kuril

This just in: Sylvia Plath's journals? kind of a downer.

Also disorganized, vast, incredibly rich. I enjoyed the early college years the most, when she's all casually fantastic writing and cycling ecstasy and alienation. The later stuff is heavier with self-consciousness and deeply frustrating relationships with men. She's one of those people that I would be friends with and love dearly, but every year or so I would lose it and snap "oh just fucking deal with it," at her.

But man could she write. Worth it just for a week of deep, oceanic reading, coming from nowhere and going everywhere.

Comments

[readerjane]

I'm not sure I'd have the courage to immerse myself in those journals, however rich. I'd be wondering when the undertow would hit.

Did the Gilbert book provide some balance? *g*

[lightreads.livejournal.com]

Actually, you know, it's sort of funny. Books about happiness tend to be somewhat depressing. I've been noticing this consistently for a while as people start writing more and more about positive psychology. Dunno, maybe it's just the clinical stance and the take home message that no, there really are no shortcuts.