A review by jenna_wolf1204
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a hard one for me to rate. On one hand, it's a hauntingly beautiful and raw depiction of mental illness and a psychotic break. Esther's thoughts are so rational and real that it makes you feel as if you're in the bell jar too. You also feel Esther's frustration as she's treated as an "other," some sort circus of side-show to gawk at and avoid. I will say I got the impression of Esther not being the most reliable narrator which adds another layer of nuance -- are those things actually what happened or just her perception of it? I can see why it is considered a feminist novel, as it touches on existing as a woman and juggling societal expectations of becoming a wife and mother while also wanting a life of your own. 

HOWEVER. There are a few racist remarks that are unsettling. Some of it could be passed off as being a product of its time, but the caricature of the Black hospital worker was straight-up racist and unnecessary.  I don't think we should toss this book in the garbage because of it, but we should view it with more nuance -- it's a well-written, haunting book that encapsulates mental health struggles in an incredibly accurate way that I'm sure truly shocked and scarred people, but it's also racist at parts. 
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