Plath, Sylvia (1932-1963) — Winter Trees

New York Harper & Row, Publishers Book Club Edition pp. 64. Slim 8vo. Publisher's quarter light-gray cloth over lilac boards, black lettering to the spine, illustrated endpapers; untrimmed page edges. No detectable flaws to the extremities, ink name to the upper-right margin of the ffep, else, text-block remains clean and unmarked with firm, sound binding; near fine and housed in very good lightly rubbed, unclipped, dustjacket. Overall, very good. This last collection of Sylvia Plath's poems is contemporary with the Ariel poems - brilliant, breath-taking poems that were written in the last months of her lfie, when she was at the height of her genius. Some of the poems have previously appeared in print; others appear here for the first time. The book also includes Sylvia Plath's Three Women, a radio play that was written for and produced by the BBC. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman film Brink of Life (1959) - in England the title was Close to Life - the play explores women in the Bell Jar and Ariel. Although it was her first - and only - attempt at dramatic writing, it is a perfectly accomplished work that stands on its own. Winter Trees will take its place beside Ariel as one of the most extraordinary literary works of this generation.