Reviews

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Only show reviews with written explanations

kelsterrrae's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective tense 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

5.0

mmmedhat246's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

this book sent shivers down my spine at one point
It mirrored my soul back to me in a passage and I needed the world to stop for a second while I process that
other than that it was a fun read

rip2myyouth_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

this would have been amazing if it wasn't for the racism and the homophobia. additionally i sometimes didn't understand esther's actions. mental illness is seldom an excuse for being mean without proper reason.
i understand sylvia plath lived in the middle of the 20th century, but for a woman of her level and her brain...
i still loved the depiction of mental illness and the metaphor of the bell jar and the way plath made esther a girl questioning the female role in society, reading about that was quite interesting since this book is from 60 years ago
I LOVED THE WRITING!!!!

completelynovel_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

almabritta's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

3.5⭐️

Lite intetsägande, litet rörig och skriven på ett hackigt sätt.

Denna boken känns lite som Sylvia Plaths egna självmordsbrev

laurasauras's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

I would have marked this a 5 star book, because the imagery is wonderful, and the story captivating. However, it is incredibly confronting, especially for someone with experience with depression, and even though I feel I am perfectly happy at the moment, I couldn't help be shocked and saddened by much of the story. Of course, that was occasionally the point, and I think that Plath did very well pulling off a realistic story of depression. Sadly, though, there were times that I hated the book for making me feel the way it did. I prefer her poetry, which is so extreme in it's alienation that you cannot connect as easily as you can to her novel.