Her Husband: Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath--A Marriage

When I first began reading Diane Middlebrook's "Her Husband," I was disappointed. "This is all the stuff I already know," I thought. "St. Botolph's...black marauder...pushy American girl...I've read this all before. Where's the new stuff?" Plath fans like myself, who've read every biography and scrutinized every poem, need to hang in there for a bit. It takes a while to tap the riches in this book, but once you hit pay dirt, you'll be buried in it. You can expect nothing less from Diane Middlebrook's exhaustive research and crisp, yet sensitive writing. The book is essentially a biography of Ted Hughes, but it is a biography of Hughes in relation to Plath -- possibly the only kind of biography that could ever be written about Ted Hughes. Middlebrook takes what has been said over and over about Hughes and Plath -- that they were larger-than-life, highly charismatic, very intense people -- and digs deep with research and literary analysis. The result is two fully-fleshed mythical figures, with the history of -- and reasons for -- the shaping of their mythic status. Speaking of the literary analysis, it is incredibly detailed, dissected to a dizzying extent. Middlebrook is quite a scholar, and makes bold connections between various Plath and Hughes poems (some of which were written on opposite sides of the same piece of paper -- a practice Middlebrook calls Plath & Hughes's "hand-to-hand combat"). The poems take on squirming new life in the illumination Middlebrook provides. Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes were complex, inscrutable people. They believed their relationship was fated, and that indeed seems to have been the case. They goaded each other to produce writing that was better and more unique than anything else being written at the time. The destruction of their marriage was the catalyst for Plath's final poems, the ones that would guarantee her immortality. It's hard to know how to feel about Ted Hughes. I have a lot more interest in, and respsect for, him after reading this book. One thing is certain -- he is the only man who could have endured life in the shadow of Sylvia Plath. A hunter, a creator of myths, only his questing, questioning nature could have been strong enough to stand up to all Plath threw at him, in life and in death.

Not bad but must go read Red Comet

There's always something just out of reach about the Hughes/Plath marriage. No one ever knows what goes on between two people even when they leave so much evidence behind. As the title says it's 'her husband' and the focus is centered a great deal on the fact the Sylvia's suicide has forever made Ted (genius that he was) the man who may have driven her to it. A role that I think he did not always shy away from. The book offers great insight into those years in their marriage .You almost feel as though you might have been one of those friends or neighbors who witnessed it all first hand. Fascinating but not liable to change any minds as most sides have already been picked. Well worth reading.

I loved this book. Diane Middlebrook approaches the subject respectfully and without bias, which really brought it home for me. I found it interesting because it really discusses the ins and outs of the marriage between Plath and Hughes, focusing specifically on the creative connection they felt with each other. The book is organized chronologically in stages of the relationship. It's certainly not your typical biography.Middlebrook has a flowing writing style that made this book fun to read. You can tell she understands the importance of words--it shows in her analyses and also her own writing style.And yes, there is a lot of analysis in this book. Personally, I loved getting the psychological and emotional background behind the poetry. This was, I thought, one of the greatest things about the book. If you like studying poetry and literature like me, you will love this biography. If you are looking for something more thrilling and tawdry, I'd go watch the movie "Sylvia."

Like all other Plath aficionados, I read this book hoping to learn more about such an enigmatic and genius artist. I must say I was a little fooled by my own hopes when the book ended up being mostly about Hughes.The book starts off rather well, gripping the reader. But so much about Ted Hughes and his every family member (compared to the scant information about Plath, her mother, and brother) was not what I was interested in, so the beginning was a bit tedious. Then Middlebrook finally gets to the goods: the actual marriage and partnership of these two literary giants. This section is the most interesting. Middlebrook's analysis of their poems and other writings make this book. But this wanes once Plath dies and Middlebrook gets tangled in the "muses" or carnal pursuits of Hughes. She manages to get back to the point, but not until the end.Middlebrook obviously knows a lot of biographical information about these two, as well as an excellent perception for their poetry. Her writing is clear and engaging. My problem with the book was I was hoping for something more about the partnership of two intelligent, if eccentric, artists and their pursuit to achieve their poetic visions. It was more biography and "gossip" (as another reviewer put it) than that dissection of a fascinating marriage. My biggest problem with the book is that it was not what I was anticipating.I do recommend this book, but insist that you stick with it. It is interesting, even if I was expecting something else.

It's a good thing that both of these folks are long dead, because - much as I am fascinated by their relationship, and still stunned by their talent and dedication - I want to smack them both into the middle of next week. Sylvia needed drugs that didn't exist yet, and Ted needed to be in a poly relationship or none at all. Oh well.

I like the writing. superb.

They seemed to take on rather too much of what can really split a marriage, when each with their disparate deep desirings.An we take sides, don't we-depending on our perspective!

The book was in good condition when it arrived. Also this book is ideal for those who enjoy the work of both Hughes and Plath as it is not prejudice and is well researched.

Gripping but DWM goes a little easy on the old Yorkshire Ripper.