Sleepwalking

Lucy Johansson is one of three friends attending a prestigious women's college in the 1970s. Along with her roommates Meg and Isabel, she becomes fascinated by three famous female poets who died by suicide, dubbing them "the death girls." The students immerse themselves in the poetry and lives of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and other tragic literary figures while navigating their own paths through early adulthood. Their obsession begins to blur the lines between academic study and personal identification with these poets. Their close-knit college existence centers around poetry workshops, late-night discussions, and the intensity of female friendship. As graduation approaches, each woman must confront how their artistic aspirations and fixation on tragic figures has shaped their worldview. The novel examines how young women's creative and personal development can become entangled with the artists they admire, raising questions about authenticity, influence, and the romanticization of darkness in art.

Readers call this an intimate portrayal of college friendships and creative passions, particularly resonating with those who experienced the folk music scene of the 1970s. Many connect with the authenticity of the characters' artistic struggles and life transitions. Readers appreciated: - Authentic depiction of college relationships - Details about the folk music era - Complex female friendship dynamics - Character development over decades Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in middle sections - Some found the protagonist passive - Music references can feel dated/alienating to younger readers - Resolution feels rushed Review Stats: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (2,100+ ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (85 ratings) Sample reader comments: "Captures that specific moment when art and youth collide" - Goodreads review "The relationships felt real but the plot meandered" - Amazon review "Perfect for anyone who lived through the folk revival" - LibraryThing review

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🌟 Meg Wolitzer wrote Sleepwalking at age 21, while she was still a college student at Brown University 📚 The novel explores the phenomenon of "death girls" - young women obsessed with poets who died tragically young, particularly Sylvia Plath 💫 The book's main characters form a secret society called the "Death Girls" at their women's college, each taking on the persona of a different deceased female poet 🎭 The novel draws parallels between the romanticization of tragic literary figures and the ways young people sometimes try on different identities while finding themselves 📖 Though Sleepwalking was Wolitzer's first novel (published in 1982), she went on to become a bestselling author known for works like The Interestings and The Female Persuasion