Sylvia Plath, method and madness cover

Sylvia Plath, method and madness

by Edward Butscher

Few modern poets have generated as much controversy as Sylvia Plath. In the aftermath of her suicide in 1963 at the age of thirty, Plath's popularity and stature have steadily increased due to her powerful, self-revelatory imagery and her unflinching stare into the abyss of the human soul. "Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness" masterfully explores the paradoxes of this fascinating woman: the overachieving daughter desperate for approval, the tormented poet warring with her demons, the doting mother who abandons her babies, the resentful wife raging against the confines of domesticity and an unfaithful but famous husband. Edward Butscher shows us both victim and avenging goddess. -- From publisher's description.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?