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Letters Home

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 1,261 ratings · 45 reviews

Sylvia Plath's correspondence, addressed chiefly to her mother, from her time at Smith College in the early 1950s up to her suicide in London in February 1963. In addition to her capacity for domestic and writerly happiness, these letters also hint at her potential for deep despair.

502 pages

Published (first published 1975)

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Jul 19, 2009 C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-biographical-fiction, non-fiction, started-and-put-aside

When I started this I was not at all sure whether I wanted to read it. I liked The Bell Jar, but it could just have been the time I read it. I do not get her poetry. Cult of the personality stuff makes me uncomfortable. Doesn't she deserve to be laid to rest, anyway. Blah.

BUT! I read the first couple of letters and was sucked in. It seems like she used her letters in a similar way that I use my diary, so I felt as if I was right in her life. And although the events of her life in September 1950...more When I started this I was not at all sure whether I wanted to read it. I liked The Bell Jar, but it could just have been the time I read it. I do not get her poetry. Cult of the personality stuff makes me uncomfortable. Doesn't she deserve to be laid to rest, anyway. Blah.

BUT! I read the first couple of letters and was sucked in. It seems like she used her letters in a similar way that I use my diary, so I felt as if I was right in her life. And although the events of her life in September 1950 might not be particularly interesting to anyone who is not particularly interested in Sylvia Plath, it was very interesting to me (even though I tell myself I am not particularly interested in Sylvia Plath). But in September 1950 she moved away from her family to go off to college. Now, I have just moved away from my family to go off to college! (Though I call it 'university'.) And there are other superficial similarities too. And so I was in the rather odd position of finding myself reading what was in places almost an exact transcript of my life. I am in the habit of dog-earing pages which contain something I find profound or striking, but in the early stages of this book I found myself dog-earing so many pages that I had to start underlining instead because there weren't enough corners to fold. Which is all very well, except that there are few people in the world I would less like to resemble.

It's difficult not to read her poetry and such autobiographically - I feel so desperately sorry for her because of how everything she did seems to be coloured by her marriage to Ted Hughes and her suicide and a sort of hysterical, whining feminism (and there is a little voice in my head that says that none of this would ever have happened if she was a man). Similarly, it's hard not to read her letters autobiographically, hard not to be continually searching for some evidence of a hormonal imbalance in the brain. And you find it, too, in what seems like the almost desperate happiness that comes through when she writes (though probably it is sincere and the desperation is the product of your imagination). And when she mentions her "old resilient optimism" and says she should "never commit suicide, because something unexpected always happens", you tut and shake your head in disbelief. Because doesn't this imply that she has already considered suicide? And is that not the saddest thing?

I think, though, after a few pages I forgot it was Sylvia Plath and started reading as if it was just a girl. A young woman, a bit like me. I was completely absorbed in her life, so when her first suicide attempt turned up (the one The Bell Jar is based on, presumably), I was severely shaken. It was a shock. To my relief, though, as the speed with which her letters covered her life outstripped my own life, she began to resemble me less and less. Which was good. The only reason I saw myself in her letters is because she writes about things that are fairly universal, or at least relatively common, things for people to feel: the excitement of moving away from home, the optimism about starting afresh in a place you really want to love, the fondness you feel for anyone and everyone who crosses your path, the stages of partial disillusionment, homesickness, fatigue that come later. Unfortunately, since I'm not overly fascinated by her biography, reading about her life is no longer all that interesting (maybe I'm just self-obsessed). So I'm putting this aside for now.

Nonetheless, she does write beautifully, and although some of the things she wrote could have been lifted directly from my diaries without even needing to change any of the specifics, more often than not I found myself reading a rather perfect evocation of something I had never thought to write down, or had not been able to express properly when I tried. Something I thought was mine alone.

"I felt that I was drowning in a sea of personalities, each one as eager to be a whole individual as I was."

And this, is it not, is one of the greatest reasons why we read. The best writing can break down the walls that separate us from each other - it can overcome the limitations of perception so we can understand what other people feel. "It is as if a hand has reached out, and taken yours." It is a whisper in the darkness as you lie awake at night, unable to sleep: You are not alone.

A measure of loneliness is the price we pay for self-awareness. Even the company of a suicidal manic-depressive whose poetry I don't get is better than nothing.(less)

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Oct 31, 2010 britt rated it 5 of 5 stars

so good, I gained a new respect for her as a writer or person. she seemed to embrace life; she was just fragile.

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Sep 20, 2011 Sherilyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sylvia Plath's Letters Home juxtaposed against her Unabridged Journals is a fascinating study. The face she showed to Mummy in her letters versus what was truly happening in her life and mind is heartbreaking and reminds me of the importance in my own heavy depression struggle of being as true as I can to all the people in my life, so that they might see me and pull me into light when I start to fail. Her letters are almost manic in their tales of the mad joy she supposedly found while away at c...more

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Aug 10, 2009 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mothers/daughter relationships--unless you're part of the duo, you'll never, ever get it. My boyfriend does, my brother doesn't--my father gets us both, but even he doesn't get us "together." As far as I can tell, how do you co-exist with someone you love, admire, hate, hope the best for/worst for? How do you take someone seriously you've known since they were in diapers? And likewise, how do you take someone seriously that you've spent your whole life working to "out do"? Mothers and daughters...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Evelyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-library, read-in-2012, non-fiction, poetry, memoir-and-biographies

I've read parts of this book before a very long time ago, so I'm pleased that I've finally gotten around to reading it all the way through now. Sylvia's letters to her family (mainly her mother) exude all the anxiety and excitement of youth, so it was fascinating to get a rare glimpse into Sylvia's personality and how she conducted herself, dealt with her relationships and friendships, and her drive to succeed in her studies. Obviously because she killed herself, the reader can't stop themselves...more

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Jun 28, 2007 Lara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, own

The disparity between her bleak poetry and these almost desperately cheerful letters to her mother is heartbreaking.

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Mar 15, 2013 Alison Whiteman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this in college. Sylvia's struggles with bipolar disorder are not clearly addressed in this book as much as in her private journals.

I could not decide if it was her mental illness that lead to her suicide or her philandering husband, Ted Hughes. Either way, we lost her far too early.

Hughes did publish work after her death but it does not compare to the caliber of talent she shared with the world.

I also wonder about the future collection of letters and journals from authors in this digi...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Kallie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wonder if Aurelia Plath left out any letters that did not reflect her daughter's life as 'Mommy' wanted to see 'Sivvy'? Probably not. Self-censoring (and self-promotion of an ideal, fake self) had clearly become Plath's habit. Growing up in the American Fifties was difficult, what with so much emphasis on the requirment for females to appear perfect: perfectly lovely, perfectly cheery, perfectly whatever. This mother-daughter relationship seems to have been especially relentless in that respec...more

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May 09, 2012 Katie Dreyer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Having read these letters in such a short period of a time, I feel somewhat bereft without them. Much like Sylvia's mother must have, I've come to rely on reading a letter from Sylvia almost everyday. This is truly an amazing collection. Nearly all of the letters are written to her mother, Aurelia, who edited the volume and provides introductions to each section. I readily identified with Sylvia, especially in her early years at Smith when she attempted to excel in her classes while maintaining...more Having read these letters in such a short period of a time, I feel somewhat bereft without them. Much like Sylvia's mother must have, I've come to rely on reading a letter from Sylvia almost everyday. This is truly an amazing collection. Nearly all of the letters are written to her mother, Aurelia, who edited the volume and provides introductions to each section. I readily identified with Sylvia, especially in her early years at Smith when she attempted to excel in her classes while maintaining an active social life. Her letters are full of typical college girl complaints - boys, books, professors, etc. Of course there were many aspects which were not as typical. I was excited and fascinated by her accounts of interviews with Marianne Moore, lectures with W.H. Auden, and later, dining with T.S. Eliot and his wife. Sylvia's ambition, determination, and (more than anything) her love of life shines in these letters. When in Cambridge on a Fulbright scholarship she met Ted Hughes. These early letters describing their passionate meeting and subsequent romance/marriage are beautiful, exciting, and, because one cannot help but remember how it all ends, heartbreaking. Sylvia's attention to detail, lively descriptions of her friends, and frequent requests to "send cookies" are endearing and charming. The later section of the collection is truly heart-wrenching. After moving from London to the country with Ted, Sylvia gave birth to their second child. The joyousness in the letters following Nick's birth gives way to quiet desperation and sadness after realizing her husband was having an affair. After Ted had moved out and Sylvia became intent on owning an apartment in London (specifically W.B. Yeat's old flat), her writing becomes somewhat frenzied. She tells her mother she is writing from four AM till 8 AM "when the babies wake up." During this time, she also published her novel, "The Bell Jar," but because she knew it contained some biographical information which might have hurt her mother, she insisted that Aurelia not read it, that it was only a "pot-boiler" and that she would be coming out with a second, better novel soon. She attempts to assure her mother that she is fine, adamently refusing to 'let Ted win' and return to the States where she would be taken care of and comforted. The poems she wrote during this time would make her famous, but the intensity and furiosity with which she wrote would eventually take its toll. During one of the harshest winters in England's history, Sylvia and the children all came down with fevers. In her feverish state Sylvia continued to insist that she was alright and that she was looking forward to her brother's visit in the spring. Despite her outward determination to carry on and love for her children, the pressure evidently became too much to bear and Sylvia killed herself on February 11, 1963. A truly haunting collection of letters, I feel I have gained some profound insight into a poet I greatly admire. (less)

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Jan 22, 2009 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anyone with a particular interest in the life of Sylvia Plath (like me) would be intrigued by this book. It is a biography but it consists mainly of Sylvia's own letters to family and friends and, as she was such a voracious letter-writer, it is basically an autobiography also. The book gives tremendous insight into her life and eventual demise and is deeply personal. I really enjoyed it, although it left me quite upset.

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Nov 03, 2012 Camilla rated it 3 of 5 stars

Sylvia Plath's letters to her mother are in some ways revealing and others guarded. Mother and daughter didn't have the easiest relationship, although in many ways, Sylvia appeared to be the average Southern girl. Her letters tell of the high expectations of herself, her naive adoration of her husband, Ted Hughes, and her ultimate dissatisfaction with her life. A must-read to understand The Bell Jar.

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Jan 20, 2008 Tonya rated it 4 of 5 stars

After reading The Bell Jar, I just had to know more about Sylvia Plath. After finishing The Bell Jar, I felt hopeful for the main character, who is thinly disguised as Sylvia herself. I wanted to know how the hopeful ending turned into suicide. Reading Letters Home felt like a voyeuristic journey into Plath's life, but I was fascinated by her and how she could reach such despair. The end to Letters Home left me questioning why she decided to remove herself from this world. However, I felt like I...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Cora rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well ... it gives the reader a good insight in the mechanisms of this truly difficult mother-daughter relationship :
Mother is a b.... and daughter suffers an inflated sense of entitlement .
But she did know that already, didn't she ?
"I think writers are the most narcissistic people. Well, I mustn't say this, I like many of them, a great many of my friends are writers."

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Nov 13, 2012 Anne Nikoline rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: any Plath fans

Recommended to Anne Nikoline by: all the Plath fans

Shelves: american-literature, adult-ilterature, autobiography, non-fiction, read-in-2012, 20th-century

Is there is one thing Sylvia Plath has taught me, it is that she never fails to entertain with her sad, sad story and her stunning, stunning writing; in my opinion she is without doubt an overlooked treasure when it comes to poetry; I have no idea how she did it, but no matter what she did with words, she always managed to make out the most beautiful picture of emotions and senses.

Letters Home by Sylvia Plath, states a seventeen years old girl who started writing lots of letters home to her mot...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Everett Darling rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

I found by reading her poems in chronological order alongside these letters home, a clearer rendering of Plath´s world, or worlds, surfaces. Her letters home were often painfully cheerful and optimistic, it felt somehow unreal standing up against such dark poetry.

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Aug 12, 2012 Beverly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am so glad I read this book. All the biographies, poetry and anything you can get your hands on about Sylvia Plath emphasizes her anger, depression, and insecurities. This was so different. Reading these letters home to her mother from the time she was at Smith until right before her death show so many sides of her personality- her love of her children, her husband, traveling, writing. What struck me most about these letters was her strong spirit. She was determined to make it through the most...more

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Apr 05, 2009 Janellyn51 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this when it first came out. If your at all interested in Sylvia Plath or you've just read the Bell Jar, it would be a natural progression to read this next....to shed light on the Bell Jar and where that came from.

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Mar 22, 2013 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-and-memoirs, reviewed

'Letters Home', a collection of Sylvia Plath's letters to her mother, brother and sponsor, could easily be mistaken for an epistolary novel. The letters are further evidence of Plath's intelligence, ambition and vulnerability, and showcase the development of her poetic voice in a very interesting and personal way. They tell a slightly different side of the story to that which is presented in Plath's own journals and in the biographies of her (the letters are often cheerful and optimistic, even w...more

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Jul 02, 2011 Renee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: friendrecommendation

Hauntingly beautiful. It feels like all her optimism and hope was channeled into these letters. They are inspiring and honest and raw and emotional.

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Aug 25, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

"I could never be a complete scholar or a complete housewife or a complete writer. I must combine a little of all, and thereby be imperfect in all."

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Apr 25, 2013 Toni Wu added it · review of another edition

显然没看完……这里面的女孩，恋家，爱美，热爱生活，享受生活，心里没有阴暗，没有恨，没有厌恶，没有恶毒，没有敌意……其实她的诗里面也没有这些东西。她真的是个诚挚的姑娘，没有敌意的姑娘。软妹子。母亲的语气看上去很好……

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Oct 05, 2008 Ellen Puccinelli rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book about two million times when I was in college and then tried to write my own mother similar letters describing my fabulous college days. I am fascinated by Sylvia Plath, as are so many people -- so talented and beautiful, and such a tragic life in so many ways. Reading these letters, you see so clearly the different aspects of Sylvia's personality and her competing impulses. It seems to me that she tried so hard to live. These letters are some of her best writing in many ways --...more

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Oct 26, 2009 Shideh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ideal for those studying Sylvia Plath - but I'd recommend the journals instead.

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Dec 27, 2008 Joellen Valerius rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very interesting. she writes her journals like a short novels.

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Oct 09, 2009 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Letters Home: Correspondence, 1950-1963 by Sylvia Plath (1992)

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Sep 24, 2011 Lydia rated it 5 of 5 stars

i am a huge Plath fan and i read this book years ago. if you are a fan this is a must read.

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Dec 17, 2009 Carmelo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Very sad...but well done.

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Nov 15, 2010 Wim van den Berg rated it 3 of 5 stars

Some complicated women, with such great hands to write such letters! I wanted to write like her those days!

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Aug 13, 2008 Sarah Hackley rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: women writers, and all women interested in a study of real women's lives

Recommended to Sarah by: N/A

The Sylvia Plath depicted in these letters is often an optimistic one. A close read, however, reveals the too-optimistic tones underlying some letters in an attempt to make her mother feel things are better than they are. Overall, a fascinating read - I couldn't put it down! Am anxiously awaiting reading her journals in an attempt to fill in the emotions implied but never explained during her last letters to her mother.

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Jul 20, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Was very interesting to see what Sylvia had to say. I definitely enjoyed it.

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About Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer.

Known primarily for her poetry, Plath also wrote a semi-autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. The book's protagonist, Esther Greenwood, is a bright, ambitious student at Smith College who begins to experience a mental breakdown while interning for a fashion magazine in New York. The plot paralle...more

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“...for I realized how narrow my world had been and that self-education could be and should be an exciting life-long adventure.” — 3 people liked it

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