Best Selling Books by Sylvia Plath

Pulitzer Prize winner Sylvia Plath’s complete poetic works, edited and introduced by Ted Hughes. By the time of her death on 11, February 1963, Sylvia Plath had written a large bulk of poetry. To my knowledge, she never scrapped any of her poetic efforts. With one or two exceptions, she brought every piece she worked on to some final form acceptable to her, rejecting at most the odd verse, or a false head or a false tail. Her attitude to her verse was artisan-like: if she couldn’t get a table out of the material, she was quite happy to get a chair, or even a toy. The end product for her was not so much a successful poem, as something that had temporarily exhausted her ingenuity. So this book contains not merely what verse she saved, but—after 1956—all she wrote. — Ted Hughes, from the Introduction

The complete, uncensored journals of Sylvia Plath—essential reading for anyone who has been moved and fascinated by the poet''s life and work. "A genuine literary event.... Plath''s journals contain marvels of discovery." —The New York Times Book Review Sylvia Plath''s journals were originally published in 1982 in a heavily abridged version authorized by Plath''s husband, Ted Hughes. This new edition is an exact and complete transcription of the diaries Plath kept during the last twelve years of her life. Sixty percent of the book is material that has never before been made public, more fully revealing the intensity of the poet''s personal and literary struggles, and providing fresh insight into both her frequent desperation and the bravery with which she faced down her demons.

Sylvia Plath is one of the defining voices in twentieth-century poetry. This classic selection of her work, made by her former husband Ted Hughes, provides the perfect introduction to this most influential of poets. The poems are taken from Sylvia Plath''s four collections Ariel , The Colossus , Crossing the Water and Winter Trees, and includes many of her most-celebrated works, such as ''Daddy'', ''Lady Lazarus'' and ''Wuthering Heights''.

Describes various beds that are much more interesting than beds for sleeping, such as a jet-propelled bed, snack bed, pocket-size bed, and bounceable bed.

"Nearly all the poems here have the familiar Plath daring, the same feel of bits of frightened, vibrant, indignant consciousness translated instantly into words and images that blend close, experienced horror and icy, sardonic control." — New Statesman "A book that anyone seriously interested in poetry now must have . . . Sylvia Plath’s immense gift is evident throughout."— Guardian The poems in Winter Trees, published posthumously in 1972, form part of the collection from which the Ariel poems were chosen.

"The Bell Jar is a novel about the events of Sylvia Plath''s twentieth year; about how she tried to die, and how they stuck her together with glue. It is a fine novel, as bitter and remorseless as her last poems -- the kind of book Salinger''s Franny might have written about herself ten years later, if she had spent those ten years in Hell." -- Robert Scholes, The New York Times Book ReviewBy turns funny, harrowing, crude, ardent and artless. Its most notable quality is an astonishing immediacy, like a series of snapshots taken at high noon. The story, scarcely disguised autobiography, covers six months in a young girl''s life, beginning when she goes to New York to serve on a fashion magazine''s college-editorial board. It ends when she emerges from a mental hospital after a breakdown." -- Martha Duffy, Time

''Everything that passes before her eyes travels down from brain to pen with shattering clarity - 1950s New England, pre-co-ed Cambridge, pre-mass tourism Benidorm, where she and Hughes honeymooned, the birth of her son Nicholas in Devon in 1962. These and other passages are so graphic that you look up from the page surprised to find yourself back in the here and now . . . The struggle of self with self makes the Journals compelling and unique.'' John Carey, Sunday Times

Sylvia Plath was, for both English and American poetry, one of the defining voices of twentieth-century, and one of the most appealing: few other poets have introduced as many new readers to poetry. Though she published just one collection in her lifetime, The Colossus, and a novel, The Bell Jar, it was following her death in 1963 that her work began to garner the wider audience that it deserved. The manuscript that she left behind, Ariel, was published in 1965 under the editorship of her former husband, Ted Hughes, as were two later volumes, Crossing the Water and Winter Trees in 1971, which helped to make Sylvia Plath a household name. Hughes''s careful curation of Plath''s work extended to a Collected Poems and a Selected Poems in the 1980s, which remain in print today and stand testimony to the ''profound respect'' that Frieda Hughes said her father had for her mother''s work. It was not until the publication of a ''restored'' Ariel in 2004 that readers were able to appraise Plath''s own selection and arrangement of her work. This edition of the poems, chosen by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, offers a fresh selection of Sylvia Plath''s poetry to stand in parallel to the existing editions. Introduced with an inviting preface, the book is essential reading for those new to and already familiar with the work of this most extraordinary poet.

"Crossing the Water, a collection of poems written just prior to those in Ariel, . . . is of immense importance in recording [Plath''s] extraordinary development. One senses on every page a voice coming into its own, the chaos of a lifetime at last getting ready to assume its final, triumphant shape." — Kirkus Reviews Sylvia Plath''s extraordinary collection pushes the envelope between dark and light, between our deep passions and desires that are often in tension with our duty to family and society. Water becomes a metaphor for the surface veneer that many of us carry, but Plath explores how easily this surface can be shaken and disturbed.

“Engaging and revealing, The Letters of Sylvia Plath offers a captivating look into the life and inner thinking of one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.” — Paul Alexander, Washington Post The second volume in the definitive, complete collection of the letters of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Sylvia Plath, from the early years of her marriage to Ted Hughes to the final days leading to her suicide in 1963, many never before seen. One of the most talented and beloved poets, Sylvia Plath continues to fascinate and inspire the modern literary imagination. The tragedy of her untimely death at age thirty, almost fifty-five years ago, has left much unknown about her creative and personal life. In this remarkable second volume of the iconic poet and writer’s collected letters, the full range of Plath’s ambitions, talents, fears, and perspective is made visible through her own powerful words. As engaging as they are revealing, these remarkable letters cover the years from 1957 to 1963. They detail the last six tumultuous and prolific years of her life, covering her marriage to Ted Hughes, the births of her children Frieda and Nicholas, her early success, including the publication of the classic The Bell Jar, and her ongoing struggle with depression. The first compendium of its kind to include all of Plath’s letters from this period, The Letters of Sylvia Plath Volume 2 offers an intimate portrait of the writing life and mind of one of the most celebrated poets in literary history.

"In these poems...Sylvia Plath becomes herself, becomes something imaginary, newly, wildly and subtly created." -- From the Introduction by Robert Lowell

Forms a kind of autobiography of at least one aspect of Sylvia Plath''s very complex life; it also documents the flowering of a bright young woman with promising talents into a full-blown genius, one of the greatest writers of this century.

Max Nix lives with his six brothers and Papa and Mama Nix in a small village called Winkelburg. Max likes where he lives and he''s happy - except for one thing: Max longs for a suit. Not just an ordinary work-a-day suit, but a suit for doing Everything. One day, a mysterious parcel arrives but whom is it for? When it is opened the fun begins - for inside is a perfectly marvellous suit, and the first person who tries it on is Papa . . . This is a delightful book. Written with the rhythm and energy that made The Bed Book a perennial favourite, and gloriously illustrated by the acclaimed German artist Rotraut Susanne Berner, it has all the ingredients of a classic children''s picture book. Adult fans of Sylvia Plath will be as captivated as young children by the sensational story of Max''s ''woolly, whiskery, brand new, mustard-yellow It Doesn''t Matter suit.''

A timeless collection of stories for younger children. In the eponymous The It-Doesn''t-Matter Suit, little Max Nix is on a quest to find the perfect suit he can go ice-fishing, cow-milking and town-walking in. There''s magic afoot in Mrs Cherry''s Kitchen and children will love to find their perfect Nighty-night little / Turn-out-the-light little Bed! in The Bed Book.

The complete edition of Sylvia Plath''s prose including much unpublished and previously uncollected material, edited by Peter K. Steinberg. The Collected Prose stands alongside the Journals (2000) and the two volume Letters (2017 and 2018) to support a more complete understanding of Sylvia Plath''s ambition and achievement as a writer. Expanding on the selection published as Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (1977), this volume draws together all of Sylvia Plath''s shorter prose, much of which is previously uncollected and unpublished. The volume embraces her experiments with the short story and pieces of non-fiction from the 1940s through to her more polished compositions of the fifties and early sixties, including fragments of fiction as well as her journalism and book reviews. Themes and associations become apparent as the volume offers new, intertextual ways of reading across Plath''s oeuvre, colouring and shading our understanding and appreciation of her extraordinary talent. From reviews of The Letters of Sylvia Plath, Volume I: 1940-1956 and Volume II: 1956-1963: ''Sylvia Plath was not only a great poet, she also forged some of the best prose of the twentieth century. . . she wrote letters of extraordinary wit and vivacity. Their publication is a major literary event.'' The Times ''These letters are by turns poignant, revelatory, banal, hilarious and self-absorbed, documenting as they do the changing moods, ambitions and intellectual and creative development of one of the twentieth century''s most celebrated poets. '' Evening Standard ''Such was the impact of [Plath''s] exploration of both inner and outer landscapes in staggeringly intense, brutal and lyrical language that her loss to the literary world has been mourned ever since.'' Financial Times

Sylvia Plath''s famous collection, as she intended it. When Sylvia Plath died, she not only left behind a prolific life but also her unpublished literary masterpiece, Ariel. When her husband, Ted Hughes, first brought this collection to life, it garnered worldwide acclaim, though it wasn''t the draft Sylvia had wanted her readers to see. This facsimile edition restores, for the first time, Plath''s original manuscript -- including handwritten notes -- and her own selection and arrangement of poems. This edition also includes in facsimile the complete working drafts of her poem "Ariel," which provide a rare glimpse into the creative process of a beloved writer. This publication introduces a truer version of Plath''s works, and will no doubt alter her legacy forever. This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was one of the writers that defined the course of twentieth-century poetry. Her vivid, daring and complex poetry continues to captivate new generations of readers and writers. In the Letters, we discover the art of Plath''s correspondence. Most has never before been published, and it is here presented unabridged, without revision, so that she speaks directly in her own words. Refreshingly candid and offering intimate details of her personal life, Plath is playful, too, entertaining a wide range of addressees, including family, friends and professional contacts, with inimitable wit and verve. The letters document Plath''s extraordinary literary development: the genesis of many poems, short and long fiction, and journalism. Her endeavour to publish in a variety of genres had mixed receptions, but she was never dissuaded. Through acceptance of her work, and rejection, Plath strove to stay true to her creative vision. Well-read and curious, she simultaneously offers a fascinating commentary on contemporary culture. Leading Plath scholar Peter K. Steinberg and Karen V. Kukil, editor of The Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962, provide comprehensive footnotes and an extensive index informed by their meticulous research. Alongside a selection of photographs and Plath''s own drawings, they masterfully contextualise what the pages disclose. This selection of later correspondence witnesses Plath and Hughes becoming major, influential contemporary writers, as it happened. Experiences recorded include first books and other publications; teaching; committing to writing full-time; travels; making professional acquaintances; settling in England; building a family; and buying a house. Throughout, Plath''s voice is completely, uniquely her own.

Three classic children''s stories, Mrs Cherry''s Kitchen, The Bed Book and The It Doesn''t Matter Suit, collected together in one volume for the first time.

"What I fear most, I think, is the death of the imagination. . . . If I sit still and don''t do anything, the world goes on beating like a slack drum, without meaning. We must be moving, working, making dreams to run toward; The poverty of life without dreams is too horrible to imagine." — Sylvia Plath, "Cambridge Notes" (From Notebooks, February 1956) Renowned for her poetry, Sylvia Plath was also a brilliant writer of prose. This collection of short stories, essays, and diary excerpts highlights her fierce concentration on craft, the vitality of her intelligence, and the yearnings of her imagination. Featuring an introduction by Plath''s husband, the late British poet Ted Hughes, these writings also reflect themes and images she would fully realize in her poetry. Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams truly showcases the talent and genius of Sylvia Plath.

"Plath''s voice is lucid and precise, and the poetry is deeply intense in its reading and mood. The words combined with the voice render stunning images of the inner self and the creative energy of Sylvia Plath." BooklistIncludes: Leaving Early * Mushrooms * The Surgeon at Two A.M. * The Disquieting Muses * Spinster * November Graveyard * A Plethora of Dyrads * The Lady and the Earthenware Head * On the Difficulty of Conjuring Up a Dryad * On the Decline of Oracles * The Goring * Ouija * Sculptor.

A unique and invaluable collection of the young Sylvia Plath’s drawings from important and formative years in her life: 1955-1957 Sylvia Plath: Drawings is a portfolio of pen-and-ink illustrations created during the transformative period spent at Cambridge University, when Plath met and secretly married poet Ted Hughes, and traveled with him to Paris and Spain on their honeymoon, years before she wrote her seminal work, The Bell Jar. Throughout her life, Sylvia Plath cited art as her deepest source of inspiration. This collection sheds light on these key years in her life, capturing her exquisite observations of the world around her. It includes Plath’s drawings from England, France, Spain, and New England, featuring such subjects as Parisian rooftops, trees, and churches, as well as a portrait Ted Hughes. Sylvia Plath: Drawings includes letters and diary entries that add depth and context to the great poet’s work, as well as an illuminating introduction by her daughter, Frieda Hughes.

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963) was one of the writers who defined the course of twentieth-century poetry. In the Letters, we discover the art of Plath''s correspondence. Most has never before been published, and it is here presented unabridged, without revision, so that she speaks directly in her own words. The letters document Plath''s extraordinary literary development: the genesis of many poems, short and long fiction, and journalism. Leading Plath scholars Peter K. Steinberg and Karen V. Kukil, editor of The Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962, provide comprehensive footnotes and an extensive index informed by their meticulous research. Alongside a selection of photographs and Plath''s own drawings, they masterfully contextualise what the pages disclose. This later correspondence witnesses Plath and Hughes becoming major, influential contemporary writers, as it happened. Experiences recorded include first books and other publications; teaching; committing to writing full-time; travels; making professional acquaintances; settling in England; starting a family; and buying a house. Throughout, Plath''s voice is completely, uniquely her own.

“[Plath’s] story is stirring, in sneaky, unexpected ways. . . . Look carefully and there’s a new angle here — on how, and why, we read Plath today.”— Parul Sehgal, New York Times Never before published, this newly discovered story by literary legend Sylvia Plath stands on its own and is remarkable for its symbolic, allegorical approach to a young woman’s rebellion against convention and forceful taking control of her own life. Written while Sylvia Plath was a student at Smith College in 1952, Mary Ventura and The Ninth Kingdom tells the story of a young woman’s fateful train journey. Lips the color of blood, the sun an unprecedented orange, train wheels that sound like “guilt, and guilt, and guilt”: these are just some of the things Mary Ventura begins to notice on her journey to the ninth kingdom. “But what is the ninth kingdom?” she asks a kind-seeming lady in her carriage. “It is the kingdom of the frozen will,” comes the reply. “There is no going back.” Sylvia Plath’s strange, dark tale of female agency and independence, written not long after she herself left home, grapples with mortality in motion.