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Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther
philippakmoore's review
5.0
Uplifting and hilarious on one page, heartbreaking and rage-inducing on the next. A book that somehow manages to capture the dazzling talent and big personalities of both poets and is a plea for them to be remembered and read in more nuanced ways that better reflect the complex, rebellious and brave women they actually were. Loved it!
katey_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
2.5
I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this book!
I do like how the book is organized by topic. It’s clear the author has done deep research into these women, and while I’m less familiar with Anne Sexton’s work as I am with Sylvia Plath’s, this book would appeal to those who know their stories well and those who don’t. There’s very little actual interaction between Plath and Sexton, and where there is, it’s a lot of speculation, so readers should know that before jumping in. It’s more of a comparison of two creative, brilliant, troubled women who led very similar but at the same time very different lives, and I think the two play off each other effectively in this book.
I did have a problem with the discussion of “cancel culture” in the motherhood chapter — right after the author brought up the topic of Sexton’s sexual abuse of her daughter, it was quickly written off by a straw man “both sides” argument about how cancel culture is a form of censorship. While this was presented through the lens of Sexton’s daughter’s feelings around this abuse, it felt a little gross to read what felt like a defense of an abuser, made worse by the fact that the author repeatedly refers to this abuse as “sexual behavior toward her daughter” and hesitates before eventually calling it what it is — abuse of a child. She refers to the “pressures [Sexton] was under” and says she “was not a total monster.” Sure, the world isn’t made up of good people and monsters, but excusing and justifying Sexton’s behavior was beyond gross. I was enjoying the book up until that point so it soured the rest of the book for me.
I do like how the book is organized by topic. It’s clear the author has done deep research into these women, and while I’m less familiar with Anne Sexton’s work as I am with Sylvia Plath’s, this book would appeal to those who know their stories well and those who don’t. There’s very little actual interaction between Plath and Sexton, and where there is, it’s a lot of speculation, so readers should know that before jumping in. It’s more of a comparison of two creative, brilliant, troubled women who led very similar but at the same time very different lives, and I think the two play off each other effectively in this book.
I did have a problem with the discussion of “cancel culture” in the motherhood chapter — right after the author brought up the topic of Sexton’s sexual abuse of her daughter, it was quickly written off by a straw man “both sides” argument about how cancel culture is a form of censorship. While this was presented through the lens of Sexton’s daughter’s feelings around this abuse, it felt a little gross to read what felt like a defense of an abuser, made worse by the fact that the author repeatedly refers to this abuse as “sexual behavior toward her daughter” and hesitates before eventually calling it what it is — abuse of a child. She refers to the “pressures [Sexton] was under” and says she “was not a total monster.” Sure, the world isn’t made up of good people and monsters, but excusing and justifying Sexton’s behavior was beyond gross. I was enjoying the book up until that point so it soured the rest of the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
maralyons's review
5.0
Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz by Gail Crowther is a well-researched, voyeuristic dual biography of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton. The title refers to the brief period where their lives intersected at Boston University and they became friends, often drinking martinis at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston. The author does not hold anything back, giving this biography a voyeuristic feel while painting Sexton and Plath as real, complex women. Individually, they were so different from each other-from personality, background, and even the implementation of boundaries in their lives; but intersected with writing and bonded over mental illness, writing, and their gender. This book is very well-researched and includes a lot of information, but the style is quite readable so I quickly finished this one. The biography is organized by topic, like Writing, Marriage, Mental Illness, etc. I loved this fascinating dual biography.
Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
marilynw's review
3.0
Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath & Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther
I'm very familiar with Sylvia Plath, her work (although I don't usually understand it without commentary), her life and her death. I only knew Anne Sexton by name and that she was a poet. Both women suffered from mental illness and were institutionalized at some point in their lives but so were a lot of other creative people in their sphere of contemporaries. They both suffered from pressure to be housewives and mothers while attempting to carve their paths in life as artists and women who speak bluntly about what it means to be a woman in a world where they are supposed to be the support to their man's success.
Both women led very promiscuous and violent sexual lives and seemed to thrive on doing so even though they didn't garner happiness from that part of their lives. Suicide attempts were a part of both woman's lives until they each succeeded in killing themselves. This book compares and contrasts each woman's life and their friendship and rivalry. Both the title of the book and the cover led me to believe that the story would have a historical fiction slant to it. I have a feeling if I had researched Anne Sexton as much as I had researched Sylvia Plath, I would have known most of what was presented in the book. I feel that this book is for true fans of both women, while for me, it just cements the fact that thinking about their lives, the effect their lives had on their children, and trying to understand their work, is a truly depressing endeavor for me.
Published April 20th 2021
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
I'm very familiar with Sylvia Plath, her work (although I don't usually understand it without commentary), her life and her death. I only knew Anne Sexton by name and that she was a poet. Both women suffered from mental illness and were institutionalized at some point in their lives but so were a lot of other creative people in their sphere of contemporaries. They both suffered from pressure to be housewives and mothers while attempting to carve their paths in life as artists and women who speak bluntly about what it means to be a woman in a world where they are supposed to be the support to their man's success.
Both women led very promiscuous and violent sexual lives and seemed to thrive on doing so even though they didn't garner happiness from that part of their lives. Suicide attempts were a part of both woman's lives until they each succeeded in killing themselves. This book compares and contrasts each woman's life and their friendship and rivalry. Both the title of the book and the cover led me to believe that the story would have a historical fiction slant to it. I have a feeling if I had researched Anne Sexton as much as I had researched Sylvia Plath, I would have known most of what was presented in the book. I feel that this book is for true fans of both women, while for me, it just cements the fact that thinking about their lives, the effect their lives had on their children, and trying to understand their work, is a truly depressing endeavor for me.
Published April 20th 2021
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
tillybeller's review against another edition
3.75
Really enjoyed this. As someone who already has read a lot about Plath, it wasn't terribly groundbreaking, but the contrasts between these two women whose work I admire and are so often put into the same categories was interesting. The points were well argued; clear and concise.
linesuponapage's review
Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz is like being a fly on the wall, or sitting at a table near by eavesdropping to two women chatting each week over Martinis about their lives, their feelings, and the absolute dread they had of their competition of doing the same thing for a living because these two women were Ann Sexton and Sylvia Plath confessional poetesses.
I enjoyed Three- Martin Afternoons at the Ritz, I'm not sure that's the right word, because there was a lot of sadness in this book, Gail Crowther's novel about Plath and Sexton. I learned a lot. I gained an understanding and empathy for what they both went through, how just like any other friendship they had highs and lows, love and hate.
The writing was companionable, confiding-chatter, and classic storytelling at it's best.
My first experience, like many other readers, with Sylvia Plath would be her only book, some would say, biography The Bell Jar. It actually propelled me to read The Barbizon by Paulina Bren, the real setting for Plath's hotel Amazon. Her husband Ted Hughes was also a favorite poet of mine.
I only read one poem by Anne Sexton, "Her Kind" so Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz was eye-opening to me of her life and her works.
It was fascinating that both Plath and Sexton died of Carbon Dioxide. It's similar to me like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dying on the same day within hours of each other.
Mental Health is tragic, this book shows that, however, it also shows how flawed diagnoses were back in their lifetimes and the extent that the illnesses were treated. Terror is what I felt reading about each woman's treatment.
The intense parallel mental illness where they were both hospitalized, the poetry, and the support they gave each other makes this book a much-read novel.
I give this book 4 stars.
I enjoyed Three- Martin Afternoons at the Ritz, I'm not sure that's the right word, because there was a lot of sadness in this book, Gail Crowther's novel about Plath and Sexton. I learned a lot. I gained an understanding and empathy for what they both went through, how just like any other friendship they had highs and lows, love and hate.
The writing was companionable, confiding-chatter, and classic storytelling at it's best.
My first experience, like many other readers, with Sylvia Plath would be her only book, some would say, biography The Bell Jar. It actually propelled me to read The Barbizon by Paulina Bren, the real setting for Plath's hotel Amazon. Her husband Ted Hughes was also a favorite poet of mine.
I only read one poem by Anne Sexton, "Her Kind" so Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz was eye-opening to me of her life and her works.
It was fascinating that both Plath and Sexton died of Carbon Dioxide. It's similar to me like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dying on the same day within hours of each other.
Mental Health is tragic, this book shows that, however, it also shows how flawed diagnoses were back in their lifetimes and the extent that the illnesses were treated. Terror is what I felt reading about each woman's treatment.
The intense parallel mental illness where they were both hospitalized, the poetry, and the support they gave each other makes this book a much-read novel.
I give this book 4 stars.
colorfulleo92's review
5.0
I've read a few books about Sylvia Plath but didn't know much of anything of Anne Sexton but after this I'm very intrigued to learn more about her and try to find her works. I listened to this as an audiobook and it was both very engaging and emotional. Truly fascinating women but with tragic lifes.