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A review by mcasey364
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Uniniated to The Bell Jar other than the Fig Tree passage, I spent the first act curious about why this was a celebrated work. The character is a selfish and judgmental brat, redeemable only by a vague youthful sense of mischief. At first, the writing felt disjointed, failing to capture the grand picture of the city and institutions young Esther worked in.
But as the story goes on, it of course begins to make sense. The foggy buoyancy from moment to moment becomes the most sensible way to show dissociation without telling. Plath conveys the story with a poetic flightiness where Esther often transfixes on an individual detail, either appreciating or (more often) getting annoyed by it. I found that very relatable.
Esther lives out severe depression much as I've seen it affect people I love. Plath's personal experience is evident. The Bell Jar doesn't indulge in dramatization or heroic combat against the darkness. This undying condition can be all-encompassing, and blandly distorting of cognition as it saps away hope and desire. At its strongest, the need to melt into the darkness (from death, self-destruction, or simply hiding) is a need as banal as hunger or sleep.
Esther/Sylvia in the depth of her depression does not try to tug at our heartstrings, she just tries to disappear (on the bad days) and cause some trouble or make some changes (on the good ones). In the abyss and on the slow climb back out, The Bell Jar is so readable that I finished it over the course of two weekdays.
But as the story goes on, it of course begins to make sense. The foggy buoyancy from moment to moment becomes the most sensible way to show dissociation without telling. Plath conveys the story with a poetic flightiness where Esther often transfixes on an individual detail, either appreciating or (more often) getting annoyed by it. I found that very relatable.
Esther lives out severe depression much as I've seen it affect people I love. Plath's personal experience is evident. The Bell Jar doesn't indulge in dramatization or heroic combat against the darkness. This undying condition can be all-encompassing, and blandly distorting of cognition as it saps away hope and desire. At its strongest, the need to melt into the darkness (from death, self-destruction, or simply hiding) is a need as banal as hunger or sleep.
Esther/Sylvia in the depth of her depression does not try to tug at our heartstrings, she just tries to disappear (on the bad days) and cause some trouble or make some changes (on the good ones). In the abyss and on the slow climb back out, The Bell Jar is so readable that I finished it over the course of two weekdays.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm and Body shaming