The Bell Jar

One of those "must read" books, for everyone. Be prepared - ruined my life for about two weeks.

Intense and painful and real. Haunting. Could not read it again cover to cover but would never take back reading it the first time- I refer to it often for quotes. Beautiful, and beautiful in a way only someone capable of feeling intense pain can describe for others. Hard to put down.

Amazing! Frightening!

many say that this an autobiography of plath's life. Set in the 50s, it very much can still relate to today. A quote that sticks out: "How did I know that someday--at college, in Europe, somewhere, anywhere--the bell jar, with it's stifling distortions, wouldn't descend again?" This quote becomes all the more poignant when one discovers that only a month after "The Bell Jar", her first...more

many say that this an autobiography of plath's life. Set in the 50s, it very much can still relate to today. A quote that sticks out: "How did I know that someday--at college, in Europe, somewhere, anywhere--the bell jar, with it's stifling distortions, wouldn't descend again?" This quote becomes all the more poignant when one discovers that only a month after "The Bell Jar", her first novel, was published, Sylvia Plath took her own life. One wonders if things would have been different had she lived today. What other beautiful words she would have written??   hide

I am happy to have read such a classic, in my quest to know more about classics written in English. I read this boo while I was in Chicago for a conference. It was interesting for me to read this book in a big northern city, as I felt closer to Esther when she described New York. This is a very powerful book and I think I was primed for it by taking a class in neuropsychology, in which we...more

I am happy to have read such a classic, in my quest to know more about classics written in English. I read this boo while I was in Chicago for a conference. It was interesting for me to read this book in a big northern city, as I felt closer to Esther when she described New York. This is a very powerful book and I think I was primed for it by taking a class in neuropsychology, in which we discussed electroshock therapy. Sylvia Plath does a beautiful job at portraying the slow but steady descent of Esther into depression and her thoughts as she sees her glitzy New York life drift away. I also enjoyed the author's sensibility in showing the different attitudes people had regarding Esther's condition and their reactions to her stay in the asylum. Although this book could be considered depressing in light of Sylvia Plath's suicide, I felt hopeful as I finished it, seeing Esther getting treatment from caring and professional people and support from people who believed in her talent.   hide

I would have really loved this book if it wasn't for the racial overtones that completely threw me off and away from the story. "Whenever she wants to say Esther looks ugly, she compares her to some ethnic group other than European American. For instance, she says she looks like a Chinese woman when she gets into the elevator after a drunk evening with Doreen and Lenny. She tells Doreen she...more

I would have really loved this book if it wasn't for the racial overtones that completely threw me off and away from the story. "Whenever she wants to say Esther looks ugly, she compares her to some ethnic group other than European American. For instance, she says she looks like a Chinese woman when she gets into the elevator after a drunk evening with Doreen and Lenny. She tells Doreen she doesn’t want to meet Marco when she finds out he’s Peruvian because they are all ugly as Aztecs. In this chapter, she says she looks like a sick Indian after she gets back from the country club."   hide

this book is beautifully written. it's not only an amazing look into the life of a girl who seems to be very educated and have endless possibilities, but also that no one is immune to the human condition. it's a work of fiction, but after reading further about the author; Plath, it's a reflection of her own life merrily told as fiction; so not to offend her mother (and other...more

this book is beautifully written. it's not only an amazing look into the life of a girl who seems to be very educated and have endless possibilities, but also that no one is immune to the human condition. it's a work of fiction, but after reading further about the author; Plath, it's a reflection of her own life merrily told as fiction; so not to offend her mother (and other family). basically, it shows that we can all fall down, and we can pick ourselves up if we wish. To embrace the broken, and that simply because you break does not mean you are incapable of greatness. Plath proved this, not only by her story, but by her own life. in a way; i think, we all can relate to this and Plath's life. all of us have had trials in our life, and we deal with them differently. however, even though there are times we regret how we handled situations, we are not alone, which can help mend the scars of life and let us heal. beautiful. a must read to anyone who lives, especially to those who have faced the bully of existence and are still dressing the wounds.   hide

Plath said, “To the person in the bell jar, black and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream.” Having suffered from major depression for seemingly my whole life, and going through a time now when my own world is a nightmare, I understood this book and what “Esther” was going through. For no apparent reason, she became obsessed with death and dying - always planning the...more

Plath said, “To the person in the bell jar, black and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream.” Having suffered from major depression for seemingly my whole life, and going through a time now when my own world is a nightmare, I understood this book and what “Esther” was going through. For no apparent reason, she became obsessed with death and dying - always planning the way it would happen. I understood this so deeply because such thoughts consume me, as well. The difference between myself and “Esther” is that I don’t act upon these thoughts, or try to act upon them, because of my loved ones. But make no mistake, I am in the bell jar. I really want to read more of Sylvia Plath’s writings, but I am seriously afraid that I may find that I have even more in common with her thought processes than I care to. This is truly an excellent book, though I don’t know who I would recommend it to due to the content.   hide

Probably my favorite book ever!!!