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A review by laurenkd89
Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom by Sylvia Plath
4.0
Sylvia Plath submitted this pithy short story to Mademoiselle magazine when she was a student at Smith College. It was rejected. Plath toyed around with cutting it down and resubmitting it, eventually producing a (still unpublished) chopped-up version of the story with a less morose ending. This story is the uncut version that was submitted to the magazine, in its full glory.
It's fascinating to see the progression of Plath's works. This was written in her early days of creative writing, where she was experimenting with prose as a medium rather than poetry. It's filled with lavish details, exquisite attention and descriptions awarded to the interior decorations of the train, the fizzy ginger ale that Mary Ventura orders in the food cart, the whizzing landscapes that pass them by. Much like [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554582218l/6514._SY75_.jpg|1385044], Plath's prose is rife with rich scenery and poetic descriptions.
Pretty soon after starting to read, you are hit over the head with the fact that this is an allegory. What leaves me scratching my head is what exactly the allegory IS. It's unclear what piece of the metaphor each item or character plays and what the eventual message is supposed to be. Is it about life in general? Suicide? Infanticide? Depression? However, instead of being upset at the opaqueness of the story, I relished in the journey. I have the same approach to poetry, honestly - I care less about unpacking the deeper meaning and more about enjoying the gorgeous writing. By the end of this short work, I wasn't terribly worried about what sad or happy ending Mary Ventura finds for herself, but I loved the writing that got her there. I'm just glad to read more Plath.
It's fascinating to see the progression of Plath's works. This was written in her early days of creative writing, where she was experimenting with prose as a medium rather than poetry. It's filled with lavish details, exquisite attention and descriptions awarded to the interior decorations of the train, the fizzy ginger ale that Mary Ventura orders in the food cart, the whizzing landscapes that pass them by. Much like [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554582218l/6514._SY75_.jpg|1385044], Plath's prose is rife with rich scenery and poetic descriptions.
Pretty soon after starting to read, you are hit over the head with the fact that this is an allegory. What leaves me scratching my head is what exactly the allegory IS. It's unclear what piece of the metaphor each item or character plays and what the eventual message is supposed to be. Is it about life in general? Suicide? Infanticide? Depression? However, instead of being upset at the opaqueness of the story, I relished in the journey. I have the same approach to poetry, honestly - I care less about unpacking the deeper meaning and more about enjoying the gorgeous writing. By the end of this short work, I wasn't terribly worried about what sad or happy ending Mary Ventura finds for herself, but I loved the writing that got her there. I'm just glad to read more Plath.