A fascinating read! As other reviewers have mentioned, it feels like there's some speculation by the author about the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, but overall, the book felt well-researched, thorough, and empathetically written.

Plath is one of my favorite authors and while I'd always heard that The Bell Jar was inspired by her own experiences and real life, I didn't realize to what extent. Learning about her life and the challenges of her relationship with Ted Hughes really brought the tragedy of Plath's death and suicide to focus… she had clearly done everything for herself that she could to carry on in a very difficult situation.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I have to confess up front that I had already read tons about both Plath and Sexton and their work before I received an ARC from NetGalley.
The title, though it definitely garners interest, is misleading. The "three martini afternoons" are mentioned only in passing.
This book isn't "bad," but it is not what it purports to be.
There is little new information here. Essentially, it is an extended compare/contrast of Plath and Sexton. Interesting, perhaps, but something any true scholar of the two poets would be able to do on their own.
This may be best suited for readers who haven't yet read much about them yet.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a good book. I highly recommend reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

I didn't hate this book, but it definitely wasn't something I would choose to read again. Based upon the write-up for the summary of the book, I really felt that it was something I would have an interest in reading, but once I got into the book I didn't know if I could get through to the end!
The book goes through the lives of Sylvia Plath, and Anne Sexton, and divides their lives up by categories seeing as how they are compared quite often due to their cause of death. The women were different in many ways, however their similarities included incredible talent as great poets, and death by suicide due to their mental illnesses.
Most people only know about their deaths, and know nothing further of their lives, and this book digs into their lives so we can learn more about them. We get to see what pieces of their lives may have attributed to their ultimate demise. The problem that I had is that the book reads more like a textbook, and is so chopped up by the author having to cite sources, etc, that I could never get into it. It never drew me in. I am very happy that these authors are being given the attention they deserve I just wish the book could have been written differently somehow.

I have always had an interest in Sylvia Plath, so I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I didn't know much about Anne Sexton and I liked that they were both in this book. I think this book will only appeal to readers with an interest in these two or poets as it was a bit dry in some parts.

This book was a real mixed bag for me. On the one hand, the author does a good job showing how male and female poets have been treated differently, most obviously when it comes to writing about personal experience or mental illness (compare how Robert Lowell is admired for his poems involving madness whereas Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton have been viewed as crazy and suicidal). Unfortunately, however, while the book attempts to give a more well-rounded assessment of Plath and Sexton's accomplishments, mental illness and suicide remain the focal point. The title, "Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz," is also gimmicky since the book does not really deal with this subject, and the conversations that may have taken place during these afternoon are largely speculative. Finally, I take issue with the way in which the author handles Anne Sexton's "damaging physical and sexual behavior" towards her daughters. While it is a matter of serious debate whether an artist's abusive behavior should cause the audience to reject their art as well, for the author to dismissively reject this position using the right-wing reductionist tagline of "cancel culture' is offensive.

3/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster for and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three Martini Afternoons at the Ritz by Gail Crowther is a fresh new biography that examines the intersections between the lives of poets Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. The biography examined the two women through various sections such as marriage, family, writing, and mental illness, and the juxtaposition between their styles and character served to show each woman’s unique voice and rejection of the 1950s traditional role of women. I greatly enjoyed this biography for its new insights into the lives of both poets, and my only critique is that it casts Anne Sexton in an unfavorable light because of her comparison to Sylvia Plath.

I don't know what I was expecting from this book, but what I got was an absolutely brilliantly written account of two strong women, who were ahead of their times with their way of thinking and out spoken non-conformity. Both Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton were brilliant poetesses, trying to make a name for themselves in what had always been a male-dominated world. Their lives would intersect only briefly, but those brief interactions would bond them together, if not in the best of friends sense but in a rivalry and a mutual respect for each other's talent.
The title to this book is somewhat misleading because the true in person interaction between Plath and Sexton was a very brief period of time where they both attended a workshop at Boston University, and they would hang out together after class along with fellow classmate George Starbuck. The title leads you to think the book is about them meeting (at the Ritz) throughout and having many martini lunches. This is not the case. The small portion of time they spent together is eclipsed by far larger periods where they were an ocean apart and corresponded intermittently at best. This book is more in the way of comparing and contrasting the two than of their intersecting lives.
This book talks about both of their deaths and how their suicides should not be the defining moment of their careers. If not though, then why are their deaths by suicide mentioned throughout the book? Sometimes frequently within the same chapter? I feel it was a defining moment for both poetess', albeit a sad, grim one, and not the only defining moment for either woman.
This book is extremely well researched, though I do find a fair amount of speculation in it from the author. This only detracts slightly from the overall story of two of the world's most famous and talented contemporary literary figures of out time. Plath and Sexton are forerunners in the pre-feminist movement. They helped pave the way for women of today at a time when women were expected to stay home, keep house, raise children and take care of the working husbands, not have careers of their own.
If you want to read a tragic tale of two very talented, gifted women, gone tragically way too soon, then this is a book for you. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to the publishers at Gallery books and to NetGalley for the free ARC copy of the e-book I am leaving my honest review in return.

4.5 stars

Wow-what a read. This book discussed the lives of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. These were two women who were ahead of their times in the writing world and how they handled or not handled females' social norms during their lifetimes. This book briefly discussed how the women met and the similarities each encountered during their lifetimes. This book openly discussed both women’s mental illness and how they could cope at times with it and in the end how their mental illness lead to both women’s suicide.
What I liked about the book is also what I did not like. The author tells about both women simultaneously and for me, at times, is confusing about which woman I am reading about. I like how the author breaks the chapters down to easy-to-follow life events such as marriage, family, and mental illness.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in women’s history, mental illness history, or either of these women.

This book is written more like I wrote some college research papers, it's more of a compare and contrast type of read rather than a story or narrative.

I liked it though,it has great descriptions of both women and was interesting to read.

I’m going to start with what I enjoyed most about this book. Getting a glimpse into who Anna and Sylvia were in their private lives, what they were like as children, teens, and then as wives and mothers was really fun. Sylvia would use large words to tease her younger brother, Warren, then revel in the fact that he had no idea what she meant!

As you might expect, considering how both of their lives ended, this is often a dark and difficult read. While the author does a good job of stressing the importance of discussing mental health, I think it’s important to understand that a large majority of the book centers on their individual suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Even though the author at one point says that it’s a shame they are know for those singular, life ending acts, she still mentions it multiple times per chapter.

The author does quite a bit of speculating, and since this is a biography, I didn’t enjoy that aspect. I was also disappointed by the lack of interactions between the two woman. From the description and title, I expected more focus on their times together (at the ritz perhaps) but it ended up being more of a compare and contrast situation.

Overall, it was an interesting read and very well researched. A good book to pick up for anyone who wants a deeper dive into the lives of these well known Poets.

Release Date: April 19, 2021

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC!

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz is the story of the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. I thought the book read like a textbook, which perhaps is its intent. I have read excerpts from The Bell Jar, but never finished it. I have never read anything from Anne Sexton. It was interesting to hear some of the biographical details of both of their lives but at the end of the book, I had lost interest. The subject matter is very heavy and the lives of these two women were certainly not without struggles, especially with mental illness. Would recommend to academics interested in women’s poetry.

An exploration of the friendship of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Robert Lowell. The friendship evolves into rivalry, jealously, and respect. Their lives are haunted by mental illness, self-doubt, difficult relationships, and suicide attempts.

I’ve heard of both of these authors, but have never read any on of their work. I immediately went out and bought The Bell Jar! This book is well written and delve into the struggles of both women. In some ways, they were complete opposites and such unlikely friends. But, as the author unravels their lives, the reader can clearly see each struggled with the role of woman, wife, mother, and author in a time where a woman’s “role” was at home serving her husband. I related so much to some of their struggles and can appreciate all the work they unknowingly did for future women’s movements!

This was an interesting book telling the lives of Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. I do not tend to read poetry and though I read the Bell Jar many years ago and liked it, I did not know much about either author. Crowther compares and contrasts their lives throughout each paragraph. I did have trouble every so often in keeping straight which poet she was describing at times because of the switching between the two but not so much as to be overly confused. I enjoyed learning about each of their lives and their joys, in addition to their struggles and grief which is probably more typically highlighted in other articles.

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther is the author's compilation of biographical information and the relationship between Sylia Plath and Anne Sexton. I am familiar with the works of Sylvia Plath, but I had never read the poetry of Anne Sexton. The description of the rivalry and tenuous friendship of the two poets by the author is based on facts available, but in this book, there did not seem to be a friendship, but more of an association due to the connection of Robert Lowell.
Both women had difficult childhood relationships with their mothers. This could have had major impacts on the course they each choose for their lives. The women would meet after their class time, and sometimes with Robert Lowell at the Ritz. I wonder how much he contributed to Sylvia's envious feelings against Anne.
The two poets seemed to write from feelings of discontent, anger, and resentment within their lives. They were both plagued with depression and their writing was an outlet that could have been used as a form of therapy. Plath had talked of suicide at various times with Sexton as if it were a fashionable event she was preparing to attend. Plath had success with their writing even though Lowell was critical and dismissive of her thoughts and poetry.
The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton is an appropriate comment by the author. The two women were highly intelligent. Even with the depression, Plath and Sexton made their thoughts and feelings known to the world without apology to the sensitivities of 1950's society. When life became more than they felt they could deal with, each woman made her own decision to leave on her terms.
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This was definitely not what I expected. Much heavier subject matter, and it just left me feeling exhausted. The title, and the afternoons at the Ritz, are covered at the very beginning in just a few paragraphs, and really have no bearing on the rest of the book. The book also implies a deep familiarity with both authors' works, of which I have none. The comparisons between the "rebellion" and 3rd wave feminism were redundant and the same points were brought up throughout the book. Yeah yeah, we get it, women still aren't equal to men.
That being said, the book was meticulously researched and I really did learn a lot about both women. It also contributed to the conversation around mental health stigma, which I appreciated.
Definitely such a heavy read, and I would recommend to academics only.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

*I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

*** I deducted a full star from this book, because there is a passage in Chapter Five, in reference to Assia Wevill, where the author describes a "disappointing lack of female solidarity", and then proceeds to slut-shame Assia Wevill, making absolutely NO MENTION of the fact that she, like Plath *as well as Ted Hughes child from their affair* ALSO died by suicide. (Maybe...just maybe...it was him who was the problem? Just a thought.) Talk about a lack of female solidarity. Perhaps instead of blaming Assia (who was no angel, but was, in fact, a human being who suffered terribly and was completely erased by Hughes) -- the author should have added Yehuda Koran's "Lover of Unreason" bio of Assia Wevill to their reading list. So one full star docked for calling out lack of female solidarity while slut-shaming. Very uncool.

The other star I docked because rather than dedicate a full chapter to examining both poets and their lives from the perspective of a 21st century, 3+ wave feminist and the myriad of social justice conversations happening now, the author kind of shoehorns those ideas into the narrative, which, yes, those conversations ARE important to the discussion of both poets, but they're not the book I signed on to read, and because these points seem to come and go without any real predictability, they make for an unsatisfying read, because none of the ideas are explored further than the fact that what we consider okay now, 60+ years later, is not the same as it was in the 50's. Go figure.

If there had been a dedicated chapter to exploring how things have changed, and how to engage with these difficult writers within a modern context, that would have been great. However, that's not what's there. and as a reader, it grated on my nerves to read comment after comment about how these poets aren't living up to a 21st century standard, instead of just focusing on how they laid the groundwork for a lot of modern conversations to happen. As a reader, this tactic came off as the author critiquing the poets for not "doing better" within the context of their own time, which is not, in my opinion, as worthwhile as an endeavor as exploring how to take work out of its historic context and examine it with a modern eye for the things that are valuable, while leaving behind the things that no longer serve a modern reader.

Other than that, I did like the way that the book's chapters were organized, from "Rebels" and "Early Days" to chapters on Sex, Marriage, Mothering, Mental Illness, and Suicide. This approach allows the reader to see each poet's experience of each of these concepts, compare their experiences, and contextualize the work they were creating with respect to each concept. That part was enjoyable and interesting to read, especially if you have read a lot of biographical works on either author -- it's unusual to see them compared directly alongside each other, and that was, for me, the best part of the book.

I'd recommend it to academics, particularly if they're teaching a course on either Plath or Sexton, because it is a solid work that adds much to the conversation about both poets.

H.L. Mencken once memorably described the martini as "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." Perhaps Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton also lived by this motto when they spent their afternoons drinking the classic cocktail at the Ritz. Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz by Gail Crowther on the surface is the story of two of the greatest poets of the 20th century.
Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton gave the world poems that will live for eternity eventhough both women died tragically at such young ages.
The book examines a time in their lives when they met at a workshop in Boston and Plath and Sexton started their weekly martini afternoons. The first several chapters spend time examining their friendship and intertwined relationship that was at times friendly but there were undertones of jealously and insecurity.
Crowther examines both poets lives in depth with a thorough, brutally raw and shocking look at the effects that mental illness played in their lives as well as the lives of their families.
It was at times hard to read and uncomfortable as Crowther dissects both poets lives leaving no question that both women suffered. It was uncomfortable to read about the suffering the two women endured. Equally as disturbing was the disclosure of the violence and abuse that the spouses and children endured.
Crowther's book is such an intense look at two women who were perhaps born too soon. They lived when women weren't given the freedom to live their lives in the way they wanted. They were feminists before their time and instead had to live their dream in-between cooking, cleaning, raising children and being the perfect housewife.
Like Plath and Sexton's great works, Gail Crowther's book will stand the test of time and be talked about for years to come.
I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #ThreeMartiniAfternoonsattheRitz

Three Martini Afternoons at the Ritz
By Gail Crowther

This book, while ostensibly the story of poetess, Sylvia Plath, and her contemporary, Ann Sexton, is much more than that. It is a study of American mores concerning male/female relationships, female sexuality, and the precursors of the feminist movement striving for equality of pay, social standing, and generally equal treatment for men and women. The story of these two women is interesting on many levels – and eye-opening when discussing the recognition of – and treatment for – mental illness at that time.

It is shocking to read about the generally laissez-faire attitude toward mental illness and its causes. It seems that commitment to a mental institution was almost trendy – and certainly much more openly recognized – than in today's America. The lack of oversight concerning drugs and various treatments such as ECT and insulin treatments is certainly horrifying in today's society. But the story here must be taken in the context of when it takes place.

I found this book uncomfortable and unsettling in its discussion of violence and abuse between spouses and parents and children. But once again one must take into account the time period when these stories took place and the lack of support available in the society in which these women lived.