A review by realcharliekelmeckis
The Bell Jar: The Illustrated Edition by Sylvia Plath

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

oh my god. such a haunting and beautiful and powerful and incredibly real portrayal of mental illness and that terrifying void between youth and adulthood that no one talks about. the way plath manages to put what i believed to be indescribable and isolated feelings into words blew me away. i’ve rarely felt as understood as i did reading this. wonderful and horrible all at once, absolutely captivating, and i’m in love with plath’s writing. most importantly, i feel like i read this at the most perfect time in my life, and though it hurt to read i think i will be forever grateful to it.

note: of course keeping in mind plath’s casual racism, a sign of the times but inexcusable nonetheless

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Self harm

Minor: Death of parent