Faber & Faber The Bell Jar Paperback – Big Book, 2 June 2005

THE BELL JAR offers a unique insight into the unravelling of a fragile mind. It is a breathlessly authentic and ultimately readable ride into the darkest places someone can go. The book is made all the more distressing by the fact the main character of Esther seems so obviously Plath herself; we are the ultimate voyeurs as she cuts herself off from everyone around her. With hindsight we can guess at how Plath's own suicide came about, after the multiple failures of her loved ones to understand what she was going through; plus the system's own failure to treat her and many others like her via ECT, insulin shock therapy, lobotomies and more barbaric practices. But perhaps most striking is Plath herself: her seemingly paradoxical thoughts are so well drawn. Her desire to be heard, yet also to hide; her desire to be comforted, yet also shook up; plus her cries for help, versus her spite and even cruelty illustrate how misunderstood depression is, even four decades later. This is required reading for anyone who's ever had to suffer from mental health difficulties, or known someone who has - basically, every one of us.

Let me first of all say that the topics of misogyny, mental health and other very serious matters in this book are still as relevant today as they have ever been. This makes the book very important. As a writer I learned a lot about descriptive writing from this book. But at times it was far too much. Describing things for pages and pages, which to some is classic lit, but to me was boring. The first 100 pages were very slow. Very , very slow. I almost didn't want to pick it back up. But I persevered and there were some powerful, shocking moments in the book. However, it felt to me like the story was padded out with many pages that added nothing to the narrative. Upon finishing this book I learned more about the author's personal troubles so I do not want to be too harsh with my review. This was clearly part memoir. So if you do read this and want to understand serious topics from a real life perspective set in another generation to ours, persevere when it gets slow to read.

There’s not much about this book that hasn’t already been said. It’s amazing how relevant this book still is when it comes to what women want for themselves, what society expects from and wants for them, and the confused state this leaves them in.Esther’s not quite feeling happy and satisfied since the beginning of Plath’s only novel, and the very ominous “I was supposed to be having the time of my life” immediately creates a feeling of unease. Her descent into depression is honestly depicted and brutal; it creates a knot in your stomach because it is so personal and relatable.The struggle with herself and her reluctant, but fiercely human survival instincts (“[…] my heartbeat boomed like a dull motor in my ears. I am I am I am”), the expectations, the desire for independence, the frustration and the eventual numbness is not other-worldly. Instead, it is intimate and honest.The road to recovery is slow, and Esther’s suspiciousness towards her support system and her own self is masterfully portrayed by someone who has clearly been through the experience. “How did [she] know that someday […] the bell jar, with its stifling distortions, wouldn’t descend again?”I wish I had studied this book at uni, so I could write essays on Plath’s masterpiece and its themes of feminism and depression. But, then again, I would not have been mentally or emotionally ready for it.

The Bell Jar begins with Esther Greenwood explaining how she came to be in New York and how she was feeling during that time. Plath adds in current events of the time to make it easier to relate to the place and time in which it is set. The first descriptions of New York are not the most pleasant and while explaining about the extravagances of the magazine industry, Plath manages to make the city seem dark and grey. The opening of the book made me want to know more about Esther, her life and how she spent her time in New York.As Esther's time in New York is further explained, it is clear quite quickly that she doesn't feel at home there. Esther, used to being known for doing well in school and winning scholarships feels like an extremely small fish in a huge pond. Although the other characters are not described in too much detail, Esther makes it known that she doesn't feel anything like them and doesn't think that she has much in common with the other girls at all. The way that Esther's character is written would make me think that at the time the book was published, women everywhere would have been able to relate to her. She isn't the most confident of characters and is open about her fears and worries about the world and her future. This was something that I found really intriguing about Esther.The Bell Jar is partly autobiographical of Sylvia Plath's life and deals with the topics of mental illness and suicide. These themes are strong throughout the whole book. When in New York, Esther knows she doesn't quite fit and this begins her slow descent into depression and an intense sadness. Even though Esther keeps her personality throughout the book, parts of her slowly get lost in the big world that she is experiencing. She is cold and calculating about some major issues like losing her virginity and her views about marriage are far from those of other women during that time.Esther becomes mentally unstable following her return home from New York and this is where the novel mirrors parts of Plath's own life. I thought that this was going to be a really depressing book after knowing the subject matter but everything was so interesting instead. Watching Esther's mental health get worse and worse and seeing the different kinds of establishments that she was put in gave me more perspective on what Plath's own life would have been like. Due to Esther's condition and her life experiences, Plath made me like her but also feel empathy for her at the same time.The Bell Jar is a wonderfully written novel full of poetic prose and crisp descriptions. While the novel tackles tough themes, especially for the time it was written, it is a compelling read and one that I enjoyed thoroughly.

i really enjoyed this book but i think the racism in it definitely needs to be brought up, although times were different it’s still not morally alright to hold such beliefs