I think these two terms don’t exclude one another. He could be a sexual stalker, but he still was deeply impressed by Assia at that moment of his life.
It is very difficult to judge what exactly happens in private life, only those two knew.

If Hughes was a sexual stalker the idea of Assia being a femme fatale is immediately called into question.

Anyone described as either a femme fatale or a sexual stalker takes on a dark connotation, which in turn makes them appear to be somewhat villainous.

Yes, Assia being referred to as femme fatale is put into question after discovering that Hughes may be a sexual stalker. Seems to me Hughes is a womanizer. In a way, Assia being called a femme fatale seems relatively minor compared to Hughes’s deep-rooted issues such as calling his wife a “hag,” having commitment issues and having several other women on the side aside from Assia. Oh yeah! he now has sexual stalker to add on to his list.

The term sexual stalker puts things a bit more into perspective. It takes a bit of the blame of off Assia as some sort of demon enchantress and cast a more honest view of what kind of man Hughes actually was.

I think the idea that Hughes might have had an active part in his relationship with Assia. If Hughes is seen as a “sexual Stalker” it makes Assia seem less as a femme fatale whose purpose is to disrupt his marriage and more of an object of Hughes’ insatiable desire.

If Hughes was the “sexual stalker” he is labeled as, it completely discredits the idea of Assia being a femme fatale. Naturally, the allure of Assia would be exaggerated. He would view ‘the other woman’ in ways that he no longer saw his wife, and perhaps used her as a way of denying his own feelings. It is easier to cast the blame on the charming young woman that has captured your attention than to admit your loyalty is wavering. And we see that “Hughes eventually tired of Assia too” and that supports the idea that he was only in it for the chase and the sexual appeal. The femme fatale would possibly not allow for herself to “dwindle into a wife”. Once one catches the prize, it is no longer appreciated. He most likely only desired her because he could not have her. And perhaps, after he did, he began to see her for who she really is, just another woman.

Assia becoming his ‘vessel’ reveals her magnetic, enchanting side. But it says more about Hughes to me than about her, he needed a place to escape from domestic routine. He seems like was awaiting for a ‘dark lady’ to connect with himself.

This description deconstructs Assia. She seems like an object of affection, not necessarily a person.

This is especially interesting since the next paragraph immediately starts talking about her emotions.

The word “vessel” removes human characteristic from Assia Weevill. She simply becomes a conduit for Ted Hughes’ poetic and carnal energies; a portal into an artistic side he believed he could not reach with Plath anymore.

The word “vessel” does not imply any actual emotion or feelings attached to the human in question. It simply implies that Assia was, quite literally, an object of his affection. She was not an equal. Nor was she loved. He played cat and mouse and used her to fulfill his desires amidst his boring life.

It doesn’t change my view of Assia. Her beauty and strength instantly attracted Ted Hughes, but the flame didn’t last long.It seems from these biographic facts that he simply was looking for something to inspire him, and his love faded slowly as he watched his muses turn into housewives.

My view of Assia doesn’t change in this paragraph. Being sympathetic to Assia’s background from the beginning, this paragraph only cements my view of her.

Assia still contributes to the break up of Hughes and Plath’s marriage, because she “enchanted” Hughes. At the same time once you analyze Hughes behavior patterns, you begin to see how broken the marriage is because he’s restless and unhappy. Not entertained and enraptured with Sylvia he moves on to Assia who he later gets tired of. If it wasn’t Assia whom he had an interest in, it would have easily been another woman. So Assia isn’t entirely to blame.

Despite Ted Hughes’ inability to keep a stable relationship, it does not change the fact that Assia was very much interested in having an affair with him.

I never quite viewed Assia as a ‘femme fatale’ because it is easy to see that, in convoluted situations like these, there are different sides to a story. Assia was unfortunately just another woman who fell under HIS spell and was led on by his charm and empty promises. Although Sylvia never saw it that way, Assia was blinded by love and she was not the one to blame. Her husbands indiscretions were his fault alone.

A biography is written with a purpose to help understand the person,like combining different pieces into puzzle to see the whole picture. Not to accuse a person of a crime, nor leading on readers to believe he is guilty.
It is a horrible tragedy what happened in that fatal love triangle, and he had to live knowing that women who were very important to him, both killed themselves.

The purpose of a biography isn’t to make judgements. It is supposed to inform readers. Let the readers make judgements for themselves.

I may be misinterpreting the question, but I believe the reviewer is suggesting that a review be as objective as possible in order to show all sides of the story and not belittle Hughes or his literary achievements. However, I disagree with her inability to condemn his actions. Many people get away with such cruel intentions and insane justifications for their behavior, and it’s not fair that they be treated differently based on literary merit. I believe it would be refreshing to read an indictment of a literary man and his indiscretions, as that would be the truly objective observation.