RETRO
The only novel by acclaimed poet Sylvia Plath, this semi-autobiographical account of Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old college student who descends into depression and attempted suicide, is raw and, at times, dark and funny.
THE BELL
by Sylvia Plath
Illustrated by Beya Rebai (Faber £14.99, 272 pp)
The only novel by acclaimed poet Sylvia Plath, this semi-autobiographical account of Esther Greenwood, a 19-year-old college student who descends into depression and attempted suicide, is raw and, at times, dark and funny.
Awarded an internship in a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she felt suffocated: “Wherever I sat. . . I’d be sitting under the same bell jar, simmering in my sour air. Navigating a world of sexual double standards, she rejects the conventional future of marriage and household chores, yearning for creative freedom as a writer.
His depression, as it unfolds, is visceral, and the illustrations in this edition reflect his internal chaos. Devastatingly, Plath took her own life shortly after its UK publication.
Although already a successful writer, Pym’s seventh novel was rejected by his publisher and did not appear until after his death.
AN UNSUITABLE ACCESSORY
by Barbara Pym (Pan £9.99, 256 pp)
Although she was already a successful writer, Pym’s seventh novel was rejected by her publisher and did not appear until after her death, when her reputation was restored thanks to the support of Philip Larkin.
Set in the parish of St Basil, north London, this follows the fortunes of a group of parishioners after the arrival of Rupert Stonebird, an eligible bachelor whose single status is a magnet for matchmakers.
Local librarian Ianthe Broome leads the pack, but when Ianthe is attracted to John, a handsome but younger and less socially acceptable colleague, tongues are stirred, judgments are made and disappointments are keenly felt.
It may not be the best of Pym’s books, but his scalpel-like dissection of middle-class mores, dry wit, and Austen-esque observations are, as always, worth a look.
Its main value is to show off the seeds of Wodehouse’s talent rather than as a comic read on its own, but there’s still plenty to savor.
THE POT HUNTERS
by PG Wodehouse (Hutchinson Heinemann £12.99, 160pp)
Released to celebrate its 120th anniversary, this debut novel from comic genius Wodehouse repeats all the themes, character types, and By Jove! language that would flourish in his later, more satisfying books.
Located at St Austin’s, a boys’ boarding school where boxing and running preoccupy privileged students, a thief has broken into the pavilion and stolen the sports trophies (pots). As the culprit is sought, enmities and jealousies arise.
The popular Jim Thomson got himself into trouble because of the game and is therefore the prime suspect in the theft, but a simple resolution rather deflates the drama.
Its main value is to show off the seeds of Wodehouse’s talent rather than as a comic book read on its own, but there’s still plenty to savor.
