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camajo_jomaca 's review for:
The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first thing I will say is that the author’s racism bleeds into the narrative and spoils the book, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth. It’s hard to look past this, and to those who may think it a element of the time, consider there are many classics where this doesn’t happen and many where there are beautiful commentaries on race.
For the actual story, I found myself connecting with the main character in our shared past of being an academic who only seemed to do well in academics and was lost in purpose otherwise. Wanting to be a writer and not feeling talented enough to write. Wanting to be a student more because you do the studying well and less because you want to move forward in the pathway. I resonated with that feeling of lostness and inadequacy.
The feminist commentary was interesting, although simple. I hadn’t expected it from the time period, especially its freeness surrounding sexuality and especially as someone who has the most experience with the purist and precious culture of the romance genre.
The narrative was intriguing but lulled toward the end. Perhaps it was due to my bitterness toward the author’s racial bias, but I found myself relatively bored with it at the end.
Overall, this was a good read, but certainly not a favorite.
For the actual story, I found myself connecting with the main character in our shared past of being an academic who only seemed to do well in academics and was lost in purpose otherwise. Wanting to be a writer and not feeling talented enough to write. Wanting to be a student more because you do the studying well and less because you want to move forward in the pathway. I resonated with that feeling of lostness and inadequacy.
The feminist commentary was interesting, although simple. I hadn’t expected it from the time period, especially its freeness surrounding sexuality and especially as someone who has the most experience with the purist and precious culture of the romance genre.
The narrative was intriguing but lulled toward the end. Perhaps it was due to my bitterness toward the author’s racial bias, but I found myself relatively bored with it at the end.
Overall, this was a good read, but certainly not a favorite.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt