A review by vikart
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

emotional reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

  "The Bell Jar" has been one of my most confusing reads as of this year. The entire time of reading I felt as if I were on an acid trip. It is a story about a girl by the name Esther who, unfortunately, finds herself falling into suicidal thoughts.

  Although, I cannot say that I hated this book, I also cannot state that it was one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Therefore, I will sperate my pros and cons into some bullet points.

  Pros:
  • The main character had opinions that stemmed from her upbringing. They place very good questions upon the societal norm of women and men, and their roles.
  • I noticed a line that, if my memory serves me correct, appears within the book "Cozy" by Isabel Gillies. The line in question:
    "There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them."
    This isn't a big pro, but it did put a smile on my face.
  • The comparisons within this book came out as very unique to me.

  Cons:
  • It felt as if some of the actions that the main character took were completely illogical even when you compare it to her state of mind.
  • Scene changes felt confusing at times. It'd take you a minute to realize that a new scene has set into place. This made me reread a lot of parts.
  • Although the main character is placed in different places to get help the book does not illustrate her getting any legitimate help from anybody.

  Other notes:
  • There's a contradiction between the beginning and end.
    Within the beginning of "The Bell Jar" Esther mentions that she cannot gain weight whenever eating food. She can eat as much as she wants, however near the end of the book she is shown to put on weight.

  That's all. Thanks for the read. A lot more can be analyzed and discussed about this book, but I doubt anybody will have the time to read all that, so if you did read all of this: you are magical.

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