Birthday LettersBirthday Letters
Score Modern
What it's about
For thirty-five years after the poet Sylvia Plath's suicide in 1963, her husband, the poet Ted Hughes, refused to speak publicly about their marriage. Then, months before his own death, he published these eighty-eight poems, almost all addressed to her: about their meeting, their life together in England and America, her illness, and their marriage's collapse.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best books of all time and was a literary sensation. It's an intimate, haunted record of a famous marriage.
You'll love it if you liked
Leaves of Grass
Levels of Life
A Grief ObservedGood to know
It's poetry. Knowing something of Plath's life helps. Plath's admirers often see it as self-serving.
By the numbers
- Readers24 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller1 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1224 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2254 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is Birthday Letters worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the best books of all time and was a literary sensation. It ranks #2,254 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 61.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Birthday Letters about?
For thirty-five years after the poet Sylvia Plath's suicide in 1963, her husband, the poet Ted Hughes, refused to speak publicly about their marriage. Then, months before his own death, he published these eighty-eight poems, almost all addressed to her: about their meeting, their life together in England and America, her illness, and their marriage's collapse.
How long does it take to read Birthday Letters?
About 5 hours (197 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Birthday Letters?
If you liked it, try Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, Levels of Life by Julian Barnes or A Grief Observed by CS Lewis.