Sylvia Plath may be the only poet that I can remember exactly where and when I first heard of. I was in 8th grade, and it was a rainy, gray morning when our literature teacher told us about this American poet and novelist who took her own life when she was only 30. We didn't even read any of Plath's works, but something inside me wouldn't let me stop thinking about her, and I can vividly remember looking up some of her poems in the school's library. I can also remember getting older and reading The Bell Jar, and then buying a copy of Plath's diaries. I was fascinated by both her life and her works, so when I saw this biography, I just had to read it. And I can honestly say that I was not disappointed.

Red Comet is a magnificent book, meticulously researched and written in an approachable language. It doesn't sensationalize Plath's suicide and it doesn't turn a blind eye to the controversies surrounding her (for example her using Holocaust imagery or the casual racism), but it succeeds in presenting a portrait of Plath that is as unbiased as possible. It's very long but it's definitely not dry, and it kept my interest to the last page. It's a must-read for Plath's fans and those who would like to understand her life better. It also offers a lot of detail about her works, so it's helpful for analyzing Plath's poems and learning the history behind them.
Red Comet is a truly incredible, stunning book, and one of the best biographies I've ever read.