The Bell Jar (Modern Classics)
One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels
“A coming–of–age masterpiece.” —Boston Globe
"It is this perfectly wrought prose and the freshness of Plath's voice in The Bell Jar that make this book enduring in its appeal." —USA Today
Sylvia Plath’s masterwork—an acclaimed and enduring novel about a young woman falling into the grip of mental illness and societal pressures
Esther Greenwood is a bright, beautiful, enormously talented young woman, but she's slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that her neurosis becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.
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Community Reviews
Very rambling
Never did figure out the point of the story. What made Esther have a breakdown. I did not enjoy the book.
Never did figure out the point of the story. What made Esther have a breakdown. I did not enjoy the book.
Disturbing semi autobiographical novel published a month before Sylvia Plath suicided.
Interesting but not outstanding.
The novel starts out with the protagonist Esther Greenwood being painted as crude, biting, cynical, witty, and unapologeticâjust how I like my fictional heroines. Hell, itâs probably how Iâd describe some of my real-life heroines as well. Sheâs well versed in observation. However, I feel that the more she accomplishes her role as observer, the more she seemingly removes herself from the fabric of her environment, not ever feeling the ability to âfit inâânot with the girls in her internship, not with the ideals of society, not even with herself. Sheâs in constant conflict with what her mind and her heart say and what she is being told. When she faces rejection after her plans to attend a prestigious seminar for the duration of the summer dissipate, the bell jar which acts as a stifling partition between her and the world completely entraps her, and Esther unravels.
This book was tragic for many reasons, not only because she suffers from a very real and perceptible mental disorder, which, in the 1960s, wasnât always viewed as such. Her role from observer to someone being kept under observation for the rest of the novel offers a change of perspective. Estherâs condition was so wrought with generalities in the eyes of the doctors and facilities that were charged with her care that no one really saw her as an entity outside of her condition. Esther, to me, had the makings of a creative giant, someone who endeavored to form ever-lasting ripples in whatever field she chose. However, her potential was outlined with frailty and a lack of confidence.
She envisions her world with the forethought that her dark brooding nature would either be broken or would be forced to conform. However, her bell jar inhibits her from seeing that she is surrounded with other female figures who were seemingly shattering conventional roles or were at least on the precipice of revolutionizing the female role. From the ambitious Jay Cee in New York, to her own single mother, to Philomena Guinea, to her own psychiatrist Dr. Nolan, Esther has plenty of role models to choose from but her oppressive stance and unforgiving nature lead her further into disruption. That to me, is the real tragedy.
Esther is not a feminist nor is Plath depicting her to be one. Plath is honest with Estherâs weaknesses as much as she is straightforward with Esthersâ strengths. The crux of the novelâs message revolves around what any addict or mental patient must fear, that even when youâre on your way to getting better, thereâs always that subtle fear of relapsing. This couldnât ring more true knowing that Plath ends her own life within a month after the book is published.
This book was tragic for many reasons, not only because she suffers from a very real and perceptible mental disorder, which, in the 1960s, wasnât always viewed as such. Her role from observer to someone being kept under observation for the rest of the novel offers a change of perspective. Estherâs condition was so wrought with generalities in the eyes of the doctors and facilities that were charged with her care that no one really saw her as an entity outside of her condition. Esther, to me, had the makings of a creative giant, someone who endeavored to form ever-lasting ripples in whatever field she chose. However, her potential was outlined with frailty and a lack of confidence.
She envisions her world with the forethought that her dark brooding nature would either be broken or would be forced to conform. However, her bell jar inhibits her from seeing that she is surrounded with other female figures who were seemingly shattering conventional roles or were at least on the precipice of revolutionizing the female role. From the ambitious Jay Cee in New York, to her own single mother, to Philomena Guinea, to her own psychiatrist Dr. Nolan, Esther has plenty of role models to choose from but her oppressive stance and unforgiving nature lead her further into disruption. That to me, is the real tragedy.
Esther is not a feminist nor is Plath depicting her to be one. Plath is honest with Estherâs weaknesses as much as she is straightforward with Esthersâ strengths. The crux of the novelâs message revolves around what any addict or mental patient must fear, that even when youâre on your way to getting better, thereâs always that subtle fear of relapsing. This couldnât ring more true knowing that Plath ends her own life within a month after the book is published.
“I felt myself melting into the shadows like the negative of a person I'd never seen before in my life.”
Wow. What a powerful work.
I have to confess that I found myself thinking of Esther as the female version of Holden Caulfield more than once.
For it's exquisitely intimate detail and beautiful writing: 5 stars. For it's vivid character development: 5 stars. Overall, I was on my way to giving this book 4.5 stars (the fun factor knocked it down from 5 - but what book about mental illness is FUN, right?)...
Except...
There were a couple of odd racists passages that I felt did nothing to enhance the story. Yes I get that this was published when blatant racism was "normal", and yes I get that Esther is an antihero, and yes I get that she is mentally ill. But mentally ill does not equal racist. Period.
How many stars do you knock off for gratuitous bigotry?
Having heard many polarizing opinions about this book, some totally loved it and felt it was super relatable, while others couldn't stand it because the main character was pretty unlikable and made some racist comments, as well as reciting some mean thoughts in her mind. After reading it, I agree with both viewpoints and find them true.
The thoughts and ideas presented in the main character’s mind feel honest, even if they might be distasteful to some readers and relatable to some others. If a young, white woman from this time period, accustomed to the privileges, challenges, and conditioning she would have experienced, coupled with her struggle with mental illness, were to share her raw and honest thoughts without fear of judgment, I imagine it would closely resemble this narrative. My point is that the main characters in books can be good people, complex individuals, or outright villains. Authors can portray characters as good, even if they themselves lack moral or ethical integrity, or they may depict their central character as bad, despite being admirable people in real life. I won’t really know what kind of person Sylvia Plath was, except that she had her struggles and died too soon. And her book was set in the times when racism and sexism were just as normalized as shock treatment for depression. Perhaps some misdirected bitterness influenced her writing, and then it’s just as possible that her angst and honesty also found their way into this book.
That said, overall, I didn’t enjoy the book for its plot or story, but I definitely found the observations honest and admired the author’s writing style. The writing was exquisite, and the use of imagery was incredibly skillful, leaving me with some very memorable scenes.
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