Ted Hughes married Sylvia Plath in 1956, at the outset of their brilliant careers. Plath’s suicide six and a half years later, for which many held Hughes accountable, changed his life, his closest relationships, his standing in the literary world, and brought new significance to his poetry.
Middlebrook presents a portrait of Hughes as a man, as a poet, and as a husband haunted—and nourished—his entire life by the aftermath of his first marriage. How marriages fail and how men fail in marriages is one of the book’s central themes.
“Middlebrook’s book is sure to be the gold standard. Astutely reasoned, fluidly written and developed with psychological acuity, the work is a sympathetically balanced assessment of two lives that flamed brightly with the incandescent fire of creative genius. “ —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Understanding the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes adds a new dimension to an appreciation of the work of two prominent writers, particularly the work each completed during their marriage. The book offers different, but equally interesting, insight to listeners acquainted with the work of either (or both) of them and to listeners meeting them for the first time. Bernadette Dunne provides a smooth and even-handed narration, adding dimension and perspective to the analysis of the emotional lives of two intense and talented people. She is nonjudgmental and treats each individual, and their relationship, with respect. Dunne handles the excerpts from poetry, prose, personal journals, and letters as smoothly as the main text. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
