"Red Comet" is a sweeping and immersive biography that offers readers a fresh perspective on one of the most influential and enigmatic figures in American literature. Clark's prose is both lyrical and incisive, drawing readers into Plath's world and inviting them to experience the joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies, of her extraordinary life. Whether you're a longtime fan of Plath's work or a newcomer to her poetry, this book offers a rich and rewarding journey into the heart and mind of one of the 20th century's most enduring literary icons.

What a very well-researched biography! This biography not only discussed Sylvia Plato’s depression, but it also highlighted her accomplishments! While this book is long because it is over a thousand pages, I thought every page was worth it! This biography made the author come alive! I recommend this for fans of Sylvia Plath! Bravo!

A good look at Sylvia Plath and her life. Shines a light on the importance of mental health. I bought this one so that I could have it on my shelf.

Holy cricket!
This was a whopper of a book, standing on its own next to my bed it could function as an end table.
As would be expected there is great emphasis on the young trauma and loss that led to her mental health struggles. There is also a great amount of information on her process, her work and her marriage.
It was a thorough and impressive comprehensive account of the life and death of poet Sylvia Plath.

Sylvia Plath may be the only poet that I can remember exactly where and when I first heard of. I was in 8th grade, and it was a rainy, gray morning when our literature teacher told us about this American poet and novelist who took her own life when she was only 30. We didn't even read any of Plath's works, but something inside me wouldn't let me stop thinking about her, and I can vividly remember looking up some of her poems in the school's library. I can also remember getting older and reading The Bell Jar, and then buying a copy of Plath's diaries. I was fascinated by both her life and her works, so when I saw this biography, I just had to read it. And I can honestly say that I was not disappointed.

Red Comet is a magnificent book, meticulously researched and written in an approachable language. It doesn't sensationalize Plath's suicide and it doesn't turn a blind eye to the controversies surrounding her (for example her using Holocaust imagery or the casual racism), but it succeeds in presenting a portrait of Plath that is as unbiased as possible. It's very long but it's definitely not dry, and it kept my interest to the last page. It's a must-read for Plath's fans and those who would like to understand her life better. It also offers a lot of detail about her works, so it's helpful for analyzing Plath's poems and learning the history behind them.
Red Comet is a truly incredible, stunning book, and one of the best biographies I've ever read.

Heather Clark has set herself to be hailed as the primary Plath scholar of our times with this, albeit lengthy and extremely detailed biography. Heather does a fantastic job of presenting Sylvia Plath's life to us without glamorizing her death or making her death be the sole aim of her life. She shows us just how much more there is to Sylvia beyond her tragic death. We see a young woman of substance and depth, a young writer trying desperately to make it in what was at the time a man's world.
Focused on Plath's brilliant mind and talent as a woman writer, ahead of her time, this book is a beautifully crafted memorial to a defining figure of our times. Plath's breakthroughs in the literary work have paved the way for literary women of today.
This is a must read for all Sylvia Plath fans and for those who love well researched, detail-oriented biographies.
Thank you to the publisher's at Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return and rushing out to buy a copy as soon as possible to have on my shelf at home. I want to have it to reread and reference as I like.

I would recommend this to diehard Sylvia Plath fans and completists. It is very, very, very long and detailed. I know it is the most recent, definitive biography on Plath, but some details that are included do not seem to have a purpose. The audiobook narrator does a great job and is a good fit for this project.

Oh, Sylvia. I knew your story and I love your writing, but this VERY long, VERY detailed book lets us know YOU. Big dreams with big talent and drive to match, extinguished by a sexist society, a narcissistic brat of a husband, mental illness and the specter of the horrific "treatments" of the time.

I loved how Clark wove Plath's poems and letters throughout the book, tying in her work with the events in her life and adding additional texture. Clark also managed to vividly recreate scenes, places and people from Plath's life, bringing it all to life for us, the readers. My only complaint was the book was SO LONG - though not dry, as I savored almost every moment - and I think Clark could've cut out some of the unnecessary, quotidian details at points. Regardless, the final chapters managed to break my heart in two.

An astonishing work of scholarship, The Red Comet will give readers new insight into the work of Sylvia Plath and an enhanced understanding of her importance to the development of twentieth-century poetry.

Heather Clark in Red Comet The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath has accomplished something rarely seen for a woman artist, especially one that is probably best known as a trope for sad introspective teen girls, or a suicide joke for literary parties. Ms. Clarke has given more life, more dreams, more hopes for Ms. Plath than any previous biograph, using recently opened archives, unearthed letters and other new discoveries. The book covers Ms. Plath's parents, her early life, friends, loves and achievements. The closest to a Robert Caro examination of a life that I have read in a long time. The book is huge, but well spent as you learn more about this woman and her life that was cut all too short.

Absolutely incredible. Mark my words, Heather Clark has set herself as the prime Plath scholar with this work. The literary analysis, care, dedication, writing, and everything else that went into it shine on each page. Clark puts a stop to the romanticization of Plath's mental illness and her work while analyzing why that's become such a huge part of the Plath narrative. She doesn't make excuses for Plath, but she doesn't unfairly blame her. I also think this is the best biographical portrayal of Ted Hughes that anyone has ever written. Clark includes the good, the bad, and the ugly, reserving her judgment, though it's easy to guess where her heart truly lies. Just stunning.

The BEST! It took quite some time to read through, but I absolutely loved this. As a Plath fan, this is a MUST for anyone who enjoys Plath's work. Such a great read.

The author did a great job of researching and finding unknown facts about Sylvia Plath. This book encompasses her whole life, so the reader can see how her early experiences influenced her writing. The inclusion of her battle with mental illness made me wonder how different her life would be if she had been alive when it was more acceptable to speak about mental health and to seek treatment.

Happy birthday to Sylvia Plath, and happy book birthday to Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark!

Thanks to @netgalley for an advance copy for review.

While I'm still in the process of reading this (2020, amiright), we stan a female authored biography, especially when it offers a fresh take on a someone whose work is often only examined through the lens of her suicide:

"The goal, then, is to recover Sylvia Plath from cliché— to offer an alternative narrative to the Plath myth, to debunk the sensational and melodramatic rhetoric that surrounds her, and, finally, to examine her life through her commitment not to death, but to art."

I'm really looking forward to finishing this book when I have a little more bandwidth to devote to it. #NonfictionNovember is almost here, and I think that will be the perfect time!

Incredibly thorough look at the life of Sylvia Plath. Incorporates loads of new information and analysis. For those interested in Sylvia Plath this is a boon. Casual nonfiction readers might be overloaded.

Heather Clark’s biography of Sylvia Plath is magnificent. I expected the book to be well-researched, but I wasn’t prepared for the beautiful writing. As I read, I kept thinking, Clark is an incredible model for literary biographers and young scholars. She has demonstrated how to write a brilliant, very readable book that braids together a life and work. I know people who love Plath will find this book, but I hope that people who simply love great biographies will read the book too. I’ve purchased this book because I want it on my shelf for reference and rereading.

I got this as a NetGalley ARC.

This is the first biography of Sylvia Plath I have read that didn't lean on the tropes that have haunted her memory for decades. The author worked diligently to portray Sylvia (and christ, even Ted Hughes) as complete humans. Sure it took 1152 pages but what else do I have to do during quarantine?

So beautifully detailed and well researched!! It is is lovely to read about everyone around Plath; her family and friends. People we’ve only ever glimpsed in letters and journal entries. This is a rich and well-rounded text and a wonderful addition to any shelf. I’m having an incredible time reading through this and even taking note of Plath’s favorite authors. Just purchased my first Sexton! I’m taking my time and savoring this beautiful work and reading through Crossing the water as well. If you like Plath at all, even just a little, I hope you pick up this book.

Sylvia Plath is one of those iconic literary geniuses. She wasn't always viewed this way. What most people know of her is her death. This book allowed me to dig a bit deeper and displayed an intimate portrait of her. I appreciate her work even more now knowing more about her.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

I saw Sylvia Plath's face while scrolling through and immediately requested it. I was thrilled to discover that the author had access to new material and would be focusing on her life and her work.

It's definitely quite long and is a serious read. There's a plethora of footnotes and sources. Clark wrote in the prologue that she hopes it to be "a richer, more accurate, and less pathological portrait of Sylvia Plath's life." She details the numerous sources she's accessed--including quite a few never consulted before.

Clark actually begins before Plath's early life, covering that of her parents as well. It's interesting to find out some of those things about her family and get a bit more of a solid picture of them. (Although there isn't much about her relationship with her brother, but Plath spent quite a bit of time with her grandparents and at camps.) Clark steadily moves through Plath's younger days--consulting old friends and acquaintances and sharing journal entries and letters.

It's a truly fascinating account of Plath's life, with a ton of information. Clark remains true to her word and doesn't dwell on Plath's suicide, or present her life as though that's the end goal. And it was very refreshing to see a biography that didn't have Ted Hughes's influence looming over it. (Although we will always be up against that battle, due to the destroyed journals and what could possibly yet be found intermingled with his archives.) I would personally dock a star for the at-times dense writing, but I'm so excited by the information presented that I want it to do well. It's an incredibly thorough and well-researched account of Sylvia Plath's life and work that presents interviews from people who knew her, excerpts from letters and journals, and presents all of it up against her works.