A review by maralyons
Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz: The Rebellion of Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton by Gail Crowther

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.