About this title: The aims of this fascinating, compassionate book are broadly cultural and literary, though the narrative is rooted in personal experience. "To write a book about suicide . . . to transform the subject into something beautiful--this is the forbidding task that Alvarez set for himself. . . . He has succeeded".-- The New York Times.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books
Date Published: 1972
Description: Good. ---287 pgs. Interior-Nice overall condition. The paperback cover has light signs of use. -Publish Place: New York-Size: 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books
Date Published: 1973
Description: Acceptable. Used paperback in acceptable condition. May shows either signs of heavy use or wear. May have clipped corner on cover or wavy cover. A good reading copy. read more
Description: Acceptable. Book has some water damage, but book is still completely readable. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Not Available, Not Available
Date Published: 0000
Description: Good in Good jacket. See Notes. Gently used paperback. ** PLEASE READ: This book is: ALVAREZ, A. : THE SAVAGE GOD This is the book you will receive if you order this item. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Bantam, New York
Date Published: 1973
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. ml bp3 ppr 41. xiii, 287 p. 19 cm. Bibliographical references included in "Notes" (p. [274]-281) read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Bantam, N. Y.
Date Published: 1973
Description: Cover Art. Reading Copy. No Jacket. Paperback. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Reading copy is rated from good to very fine.........The book may have minor flaws that may have gone unnoticed.... read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Books, New York
Date Published: 1973
Description: Good. No Jacket. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. The book is very solid with lightly browned pages. The cover has minor shelf wear & moderate edge wear. The spine has a few creases. read more
Description: Good. 1972-Hardcover----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
"I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. I liked this book, but primarily because it's about a topic that's been a near-constant companion to me in life, either because I've known others who have attempted it or because it's something I've seriously considered myself. Regardless, this book really isn't for those just looking to find out a bit more about Sylvia Plath's own successful suicide, though Alvarez does begin the book with an intimate look at his perspective on her death, for he did know her the last few years of her life. He concludes the book in a similar vein, detailing his own unsuccessful suicide attempt and his struggle to reclaim a "normal" life for himself. Both sections are very personal and very touching. Yet the majority of the book deals with suicide in a more psychological, and especially a more literary, way. Alvarez does an in-depth analysis of suicide and its treatments in literature from Dante and the Middle Ages all the way up to contemporary times. Not only does he touch on attitudes towards suicide within literature, but he also examines cultural and societal attitudes towards suicide in the era in which certain works were written and examines how authors reflected and sometimes rejected such attitudes. All in all, it's a fascinating read for someone who enjoys reading about (Western) literature and one aspect of its development over the centuries."
"The author begins on a personal note, with the suicide of his friend Silvia Plath, and ends with a description of his own suicide attempt. In between, he discusses how suicide has been viewed at various times in history and how it has affected great literature. Much to think about."
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