Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - The Bell Jar

I would not have finished this book if it was not assigned to me. I never had any reason to root for Esther, or even to like her, save that the alternative was her death. Also, the consistent racism was a huge turnoff.

Content Warnings

avrilamber's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Worth mentioning before I start my review that I would not recommend reading this if you’re struggling with your mental health as it is a difficult read. Please see content warnings.

I feel this book is going to become very important to me over my life. I felt like this book swallowed me up as well as gave me a warm hug.

I found Sylvia’s musings as Esther about life, death, womanhood, mental health incredibly relatable, which is surprising considering that this was published 60 years ago. It’s equally harrowing and comforting.

I saw so much of myself in the protagonist, Esther, her perfectionist ways, her criticisms of women’s role and expectations, how much her self worth derives from her achievements, and spiralling when things out of her control don’t go to plan. This book really hit home to me and it’s all the more poignant knowing the mental health problems Sylvia suffered in real life.

It’s a challenging read, but one I’m very glad I connected with. I will remember that fig tree analogy for the rest of my life.

Content Warnings

diedaahh's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Picked up this book for 3 reasons and 3 reasons alone, ranked from most to least important

1. the fig tree analogy
2. I was told we were following a journalist MC (relatable)
3. I'm trying to read more classics

Jesus Christ did I hate this.
Esther is an absolute asshole all the way throughout. I was warned for problematic language, but her dedication to insulting every other character was something else. Being stuck in her head was incredibly unpleasant for me. And that's not because I don't like reading from a villain/unlikable POV. As long as the story makes me understand WHY a character turned out this way, I like a good villain POV.
I simply felt like Esther's bitterness towards literally everyone wasn't warranted whatsoever.
White women claiming this is feminist literature or even admitting that they relate to Esther terrify me and will be avoided at all costs.

Also fun fact: this was the second physical book I bought since getting an e-reader (the other one being: her body and other parties) and I HATED both books. I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

Almost put me in a reading slump, should've DNF'ed, Beya Rabaï why did u lead me astray with your gorgeous cover design.

Content Warnings

jenmcvay's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

lucakocsis's review against another edition

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dark funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.75

I did not know what to expect before reading this book but I was surprised to say the least. I do not see how it is an esteemed piece of literature nor do I see the value in reading it for any demographic. Sylvia Plath's thoughts are only interesting out of context (if ever) and I can hardly believe her works are considered feminist literature. She has no respect for anyone (women included) and would have not cared about the rights and fate of any marginalized group. This book was moreso an insight to a narcissistic person's mind who provokes no emotions or sympathy from the reader. And becau e there's so many 5 star reviews I'd like to pull some of my "favourite" quotes from the book:

Then my ears went funny, and I noticed a big, smudgy-eyed Chinese woman staring idiotically into my face. It was only me, of course.

I'm not sure why it is, but I love food more than just about anything else. No matter how much I eat, I never put on weight.

Avocados are my favourite fruit.

I hate technicolour. Everybody in a technicolour movie seems to feel obliged to wear a lurid new costume in each new scene and to stand around like a clothes-horse with a lot of very green trees or very yellow wheat or very blue ocean rolling away for miles and miles in every direction.

I was so busy thinking how very fat he was and how unfortunate it must be for a man and especially a young man to be fat, because what woman could stand leaning over that big stomach to kiss him, that it didn't immediately realize what this student had said to me was an insult.

'Well what do you say?'
' I said Gladys was free, white and twenty-one.'

I thought the TB (tuberculosis) might just be a punishment for living the kind of double life Buddy lived and feeling so superior to people.

He could almost have been an American, he was so tan and had such good teeth, but I could tell straight away that he wasn't.

I'd always spoil what I did so nobody would ask me to do it again.

She was a fat, middle-aged woman with dyed red hair and suspiciously thick lips and rat-coloured skin

But everything concave about Buddy had suddenly turned convex. A pot belly swelled under the thight white nylon shirt and his cheeks were round and ruddy as marzipan fruit. Even his laugh sounded plump.

'He's from Peru.'
'They're squat,' I said. 'They're ugly as aztecs.'

The face in the mirror looked like a sick Indian.

My grey suitcase rode on the rack over my head, empty except for The Thirty Best Short Stories of the Year, a white plastic sunglasses case and two dozen avocado pears, a parting present from Doreen.

I peered at him from the corner of my eye. He didn't look a day over sixteen.
'Do you know how old I am?' I said accusingly. The sailor grinned at me. 'Nope, and I don't care either.' It occurred to me that this sailor was really remarkably handsome. He looked Nordic and virginal.

Once, on a hot summer night, I had spent an hour kissing a hairy, ape-shaped law student form Yale because I felt sorry for him, he was so ugly.

His name was Cal, which I thought must be short for something, but I couldn't think what it would be short for, unless it was California.

Then I rode from the table, passing round to the side where the nurse couldn't see me below the waist, and behind the negro, who was clearing the dirty plates. I drew my foot back and gave him a sharp, hard kick on the calf of the leg.

Content Warnings

jastasticxoxo's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is excellent. I see why it is a modern classic. I connect so deeply with Esther and Sylvia Plath has always spoken to me in a way no other author or poet has. Esther is such a deeply timeless and relatable character and I love the frankness, honesty and bluntness Sylvia Plath wrote with. Men have been acting with the same violent wilful idiocy for all of time and it’s insane how many of the experiences plath writes about here I and every single afab person I know have experienced. I love this book so much.

Content Warnings

emilyjamison14's review against another edition

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dark reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book started off really strong for me - the prose is descriptive in a very beautiful way and I found myself thinking multiple times that we have these same issues she is describing today. It is undoubtedly a great source of how mental illness was treated in the 1950s, especially since this is a first hand account and you can see the firsthand effects of that treatment. I did find myself losing interest in the last half of the book but overall was worth the read. I would definitely recommend the audiobook narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

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