A review by chainsawheartbooks
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-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

5.0

“I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.”

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, and I think reading it now, whilst I’m going through my own journey with anxiety and depression, has been strangely therapeutic and almost healing in a way. 

Given it was written in the 60s, some of the wording that’s used and the attitudes that are portrayed are of course wrong now, but with that in mind I can see how this has become a classic! 

To write about these experiences and emotions, showcasing how dark and isolating the struggles can be, and what it was like to go through them during that time; it must have been so tough for her to find the words, and I hope that it helped her, even just a bit. 

It is an incredible read and Plath was one hell of a writer! I hope she knows just how important this novel is to so many people, and how crucial it has been in aiding the discussion of mental health to this day.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings