I hadn’t read any Plath since _The Bell Jar_ and random selections of poems freshman year in high school, but recently came across _Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom_ while browsing my public library’s ebook selection. I guess I wasn’t paying attention when it was published in 2019. While immediately recognizable as rather juvenile and with flaws (of course not surprising as it was written for a creative writing course at Smith College), I did find it fascinating in that it simultaneously exhibits her undeniable talent as well as foreshadows the next decade of her life. I think given that greater context, her work is near impossible to consume in a manner removed from it.
In any case, this all got me thinking: I’d actually like to do a deep dive into her overall work, but I’m curious if any Plath fans/aficionados out there would recommend either of the following? 1) chronological by time of publication, 2) chronological by time of authoring, 3) starting with _Ariel_ and working backward.
I often will randomly binge certain writers’ work from time to time and always seem to have this conundrum. Any thoughts greatly appreciated!
P.S. I also now have _Red Comet_, the biography from 2020 on my list.
by No_Sky8000