Cover of "American Isis"

Sylvia Plath has been a modern tragic figure in literary history ever since she thrust her head into an oven to take her own life. 

In his “Author’s Note,” Carl Rollyson admits this biography is not for the “Plath novice” but rather for the “knowledgeable Plath reader,” who will not need typical scene setting paragraphs or lengthy paraphrases of Plath’s work.

He instead chooses to jump from quick quips of anecdotes to observations of her literary contributions. But Rollyson provides little context to the facts, assuming the reader not only took “Plath 101” but should have memorized the syllabus and aced the final.

His decision proves to be a disservice with each jump cut weighing down its portrayal of the enigmatic Plath.

Rollyson’s inconsistent tone toward his subject further muddles the biography. Rollyson wavers between viewing Plath as an exaggerated Sophos, too smart for her own craft, to treating her like a sophomoric child, patting Plath on the head while calling her “Syl,” Sivvy” or “Siv.” These nicknames appear multiple times well within the first dozen pages of the book. 

The imbalance between an epic tone and one of unwarranted condescension clouds the reader’s understanding of the facts. And the perturbing chapter titles – “I Am Nature,” “Queen of the Ocean” and “The Universal Mother” appear consecutively – do little to warm the biography to the reader.

The highlight comes in four glossy pages of sixteen black-and-white photos, ranging from a teen Plath sunbathing in a yard to a candid shot of Plath and husband Ted Hughes. They put faces to the text’s descriptions but would probably serve best as a quick flip-to if you have a minute to spare in a bookstore.

Plath pushed forward confessional poetry, a mode of self-expression where the poet tells the reader intimate details about his or her life. Unfortunately for Rollyson and “American Isis,” both a “Plath novice” and a “knowledgeable Plath reader” would benefit more from delving headfirst into the poem “Daddy” or her semi-autobiographical novel, “The Bell Jar.”

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