A review by steimerr
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I commend Sylvia Plath for writing such a meaningful and personal novel to share with others. This was the only novel she ever wrote and it definitely deserves the recognition it has received. 
Being a classic, it certainly reads like one. 
This is the type of book you not only have to read, but also read IN to, to fully grasp the message the author is seeking to convey. 
Therefore, I could reread it and have an entirely different experience in doing so since I have now read and analyzed it once before. 
The storyline itself was very true to reality as it is strongly autobiographical. We follow Esther through her mental breakdown and hospitalization while exploring themes of womanhood in the 50s, mind vs body and personal ambition. 
I do wish she would have included some insight on Esther's life after being hospitalized. Especially since the narrator, which seems to be Esther a few years removed from the story timeline, mentions a baby in the first chapter. Yet we never get another mention of the baby she is referring to or her present day life. 
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the reality it depicts of mental illness. Plath has a unique way of writing beautifully and descriptively, which does not surprise me considering she is a poet. It is medium paced and mainly character driven, but pretty dreary and unvarying. I do feel as though the time I spent analyzing this book, took away some of my enjoyment when reading it.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings