Giving Up: The Last Days of Sylvia Plath

While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I do find most reviewers glean the wrong thing from this book. Jillian Becker KNEW Sylvia Plath, knew her personally-- went to her home, gathered her belongings, allowed Plath to stay in her home, she even took care of Plath's children when Sylvia could not find the will to do so herself. Another thing people misunderstand is the notion of suicide. If you are looking for the answer to WHY..the big WHY she "did it" then you have very little understanding of Sylvia herself, depression, and suicide. This book is not going to tie up any loose ends or give anyone anything they didn't have before--that's not what it's supposed to do... It's a way of filling in the gaps; where the previous biographers, journalists, reporters, only knew the Plath they saw, spoke to, -- that which was reflected in her poetry -- no one really knew her like a good old friend, a friend that Jillian Becker was. Beware: Becker is very honest, which is a good thing but some may not view it as such. The book is very short, and rightfully so. Only a small amount of time (I believe it's 3 days or so) is covered here, and that's perfect. The back cover of the book contains a review from "The Independent" (London) which puts it perfectly: "Jillian Becker fits in more good sense and compassion on the subject of Sylvia Plath than books ten times as long."

This little book helps put Sylvia Plath's final days into more perspective. No matter what the author's motive, I still find any information about Plath to be helpful in understanding both her depression and more importantly, her work. Since I dislike wordy reviews fraught with naught, I shall only say, it's a great read and adds depth to the complicated person who was Sylvia Plath.

The fact that this book is small and doesn't answer a lot of the basic background questions as to how they knew each other or who Jillian Becker is is part of the appeal. It's about Sylvia's last days on earth, not a history lesson of who is who and how they got wherever. I really enjoyed how this was written. Very detached, observant, detailed. Even the descriptions of the food Jillian made for Sylvia and her kids were unexpectedly interesting. We may not learn from this book the big Why but that isn't the goal. We all know how it ends. No one for sure can say exactly what it was that pushed her over the edge. We get a glimpse through an open window into her last days and it is on the one hand, fascinating and on the other, terribly sad. If this book had been 300 pages, it never would have worked. There's already too much writing about Sylvia's life. This works so well because it covers three days. The darkest three days of her life.

I'm afraid a lot of the reviewers, save one, have got completely the wrong end of the stick about this book. Mrs. Becker wrote this 40 years later because Ted Hughes had just died and that made it a lot easier to share her feelings. Secondly, Mrs. Becker was a great friend of Sylvia's but thie book is not a poignant, maudlin story but an account true to what is to happen. If you are the kind of person that is looking for a soppy, emotional story then a short account of Sylvia Plath's final days is not the right book for you. Finally, the film did not cause Mrs. Becker to write this book, but the film, other books and the revived interest occurred because of Mrs. Becker's book: Giving Up: The Last Days of Sylvia Plath

A measured and moving account of Sylvia Plath's final hours, as well as a keen portrait of Ted Hughes's egotism and denial. Jillian Becker proves herself a loyal yet honest friend, even though her relationship with Plath was brief. I've already read this slim book twice. I find it haunting.