Comments on: Review: The Silent Woman, Janet Malcolm

By: Review: In the Freud Archives, Janet Malcolm | Reading the End

Review: In the Freud Archives, Janet Malcolm | Reading the End — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 10:00:34 +0000

[…] I read Janet Malcolm’s book In the Freud Archives. When I discovered Janet Malcolm back in October 2011, In the Freud Archives was the book of hers that appealed to me the most. For one reason or […]

By: Ela

Ela — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:30:45 +0000

That sounds really interesting, though normally I’m not a fan of biography in general. That said, I have never read any of Plath’s works, whereas I have read a lot of Hughes’, and boy, is it good stuff (not that I am in any way qualified to comment on the goodness or not of poetry). So I am actually more pro-Hughes than pro-Plath, heretical though that makes me sound.

By: Review: The Crime of Sheila McGough, Janet Malcolm « Jenny's Books

Review: The Crime of Sheila McGough, Janet Malcolm « Jenny's Books — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 10:02:41 +0000

[…] about Janet Malcolm yet? If so, now would be a good time to tell me! The first flush of love from The Silent Woman has worn a little bit off, The Crime of Sheila McGough was not that good, and I haven’t had a […]

By: Eva

Eva — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:57:52 +0000

Hah! I’m going to go read her one on Chekhov, as I clutch him to my chest. :p

By: litlove

litlove — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:03:38 +0000

I am SO glad you enjoyed it. What I loved about it was that it scratched a real itch, the one that says, yes but all these people with views about Personality X – who are they to criticise? What’s their standpoint in all of this? It’s like all the times when someone’s been sounding off about another person’s behaviour and you watch them through narrowed eyes, thinking, and who made YOU the judge of anyone? And Malcolm goes right ahead and takes them apart in such satisfactory ways, not unkind, not unreasonable, just showing us where their motivations lie. Well, I just loved that anyway. I’ve read almost all her work now (not the latest) and everything she does is good. I was intrigued to see if anyone could come up with anything bad about her – but not much so far. I know nothing, except that she writes great non-fiction.

By: Nymeth

Nymeth — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:59:21 +0000

You had me at ethical quandaries inherent in biography. Also, I hope there’s nothing terrible to be discovered about Janet Malcolm! I can see how those two things together would ring alarm bells, but hopefully it means nothing.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 02:52:16 +0000

I’ve never wanted to read anything about Plath, because it never ends, does it? There’s been so much written about her, and Hughes, and the whole mess. You could get obsessed, and they were both such unpleasant people, I don’t want to get obsessed with them. But perhaps one carefully-curated book. You make it sound irresistible.

By: Kailana

Kailana — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:30:56 +0000

This sounds rather good, actually. I am thinking I will have to give it a try. I have to admit I am not a huge poetry fan, but I have always been interested in Sylvia Plath as a person and her story.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 21:45:09 +0000

I’m a big Plath fan, but like you, can’t imagine living with her. The big famous anthologized poems aren’t my favorites, either; I prefer things like Three Women, and the poems she wrote about her kids. I loved the Malcolm book. I think it speaks to the peculiarity of the whole Plath/Hughes situation that not only are there numerous bios of Plath, but then you get the Malcolm book, which is sort of a bio of writing bios about Plath.

By: Mumsy

Mumsy — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 20:34:17 +0000

I forgive Plath her borderline-ness for her poem Tulips, which I love love love. But like you, I am very glad I do not have to live with her. And after reading this review, I think you are right: this may be just the book to move me out of my slump. Forgive me for doubting, Wise One.