Sylvia Plath Reads: Leaving Early, Candles, the Disquieting Muses and Other of Her Poems [AUDIOBOOK] (Audio Cassette)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The charged imagery of Sylvia Plath's carefully crafted poetry strikes even deeper when heard from the voice of the author. Remastered using contemporary digital technology, these historic recordings were made between 1958 and 1962, when Plath was at the height of her tragically shortened career. They capture the striking clarity of her writing and the studied pronunciations of her voice, while illuminating her subtle, yet profoundly moving vocal inflections. Plath carries the listener into a dreamscape that mixes memories of beautiful lightness with the secret pain of dark and disturbing insight. (Running time: 50 minutes, 1 cassette) --George Laney

From Library Journal

Despite a plethora of audiobooks with Plath reading from her own poetry, this one seems unique in that none of her standards are here. These are the poems, for the most part, written between The Colossus (Plath's first poetry book) and the posthumously published Ariel. She reads rapidly yet clearly, without bothering with titles, her voice throbbing, seeming to build up anger as she goes along. Its excellence notwithstanding, this is not a good introduction to Plath's work, so it is recommended only for libraries that already have her other audiobooks. The reading by Hughes is precisely the opposite--accessible to everyone, even if it doesn't showcase the writer's best works. Interweaving poems with memories of growing up in a small Midwestern town, of Harlem in the 1930s, or of the influence jazz had on his poetry, he illuminates the experience of African American life. Playfulness becomes a stand-in for anger as he looks back at being elected class poet because he "had rhythm" or working on the college newspaper and being assigned to cover fraternity and sorority life (which of course denied access to blacks). The tape would disappoint if it stopped here, but, as if anticipating contemporary needs, he closes with some acidic pieces on racial prejudice that validate both his experiences and those of the listeners; he died in 1967. Highly recommended.
-Rochelle Ratner, formerly with "Soho Weekly News," New York
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (February 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559945702
• ISBN-13: 978-1559945707
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,432,728 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A special experience..., June 26, 2000

By	PonyExpress (United States) - See all my reviews

...to actually hear Sylvia Plath read her own work. The poems here are wonderful(the selections are taken from radio broadcasts, I think)and not surprisingly, the author's voice adds much more to their enjoyment. And it is an interesting voice: deep, with a slightly stilted, "unplaceable" accent, and a throaty emotional quality. I only wish there was more-more poems, and perhaps even one of her interviews that are sometimes excerpted in documentaries. Nevertheless, a must for Plath readers.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sylvia Plath Reads--Early Work, July 12, 2005

By	A. Journey (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sylvia Plath Reads (Audio Cassette)

"Sylvia Plath Reads" is an asset to any Plath fan or scholar's collection. However, keep in mind that this 50 minute cassette tape focuses primarily on her early work, and not the infamous Ariel poems which epitomize Plath's legacy and that made her name. Taken in this light, these poems are luminous, haunting, and executed with her characteristic immaculate craftsmanship. At times, they can be quite thesaurus-driven and artificed. Several excellent poems represented include the following: "Berck-plage" (the only Ariel poem on the recording), "Mushrooms," "November Graveyard," and "The Stones" (from "Poem for a Birthday").

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful to Hear The Real Plath Reading Her Work, July 1, 2006

By	Amy R. Steppe "Harkleroade" (Wherever the Jobs Take Me) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sylvia Plath Reads (Audio Cassette)

The only reasons I gave this audiobook 4 stars is that it lacks any introduction to each poem - does not even give a title. I know Plath generally announced something about her poetry when she read for BBC.

It would have been helpful to include a small booklet of the poems read simiar to Anne Sexton's Audiobook.

I wish more poems had been included. The actual audiobook is pretty sparse.

I was delighted to hear her mature beyond her years voice reading one poem from the original "Ariel" -- about the death of her neighbor Perce, entitled "Berek-Plage".

Her voice is powerful, full of anger and anguish that builds in such intensity it is though she is in the room with you.