Jungfrau and Matterhorn

Re: The Movie - Sylvia

Every time I read something by or about Sylvia Plath, I seem to be listening to Steve Reich.

Anyway, have a look at this picture and see if you get the same spooky feeling which I got.

Mixed feelings as always over this matter. I probably will go and see the film but it is one of those case where you would not say "I wish they would make a film of this"; there is already so much feeling about her life already amongst the fans of her work that a film would be unnecessary. One of the correspondents on the Sylvia Plath forum site says "Believe it or not, there's many people out there that have no idea who Plath is.". That is extremely pompous. Plath's poetry is not exactly easy reading and even if she did enthuse about the glossy magazines ("Slicks"), she is never going to be popular like Big Brother or the soaps.

Talking about poetry, the BBC drama biog about Philip Larkin was very good. Now I am sure that this did not raise huge objections. I am not a fan of Larkin; he is the literary equivalent of Victor Meldrew I think, but this was quite absorbing if a little depressing. Only two laughs in the whole thing one being Larkin's take on what Ted Hughes' laureate poems would be like - not too far from the reality actually. When I mentioned it my wife said that she had never seen any of Hughes' laureate poems so I showed her "Rain Charm for the Duchy and other laureate poems". I remember the first poem which was for the Christening of Prince William. I didn't really appreciate it at the time but it is quite evocative of weather (very Hughes). The Daily Express had a real go at it (not known for literary criticism even in those days) and he seemed to be stung by this because the poem for The Duke and Duchess of York's wedding was so sickly sweet as to be almost like one of the verses in a cheap greetings card. This was not nearly as bad as our current Laureate's offering for Prince William's 21st birthday. "Better stand back Here's an age attack"! (Yes Andrew. It is an exclamation mark.) The B Side IS from a cheap greetings card isn't it? I am so glad that the Poet Laureate doesn't get paid. Maybe he does now and is part of some Public/Private Finance Initiative.

I want to write the word 'Fake' here.

No matter! The end of that biography will make you cry. Whatever happened to Holden Caulfield?