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Summary: "the bell jar hung, suspended, a few feet above my head."
Review: The bell jar by the highly acclaimed writer, Sylvia Plath -who is famous for her number of poems- is one of my favourite books. It is a dark and rather disturbing novel; autobiographical to some extent and provides an insight to her and her feelings in a metaphor. You will be empathetic towards the narrator and main character, Esther Greenwood, a young adult who succeeds her way into university in New York. At the beginning, she was ambitious and witty, and like Plath, Esther is an excellent writer. In the summer of her 19 years, she works as a junior magazine editor at her internship and she introduces her friends and many situations that contribute to her final breakdown, as she gradually declines to insanity as she feels being trapped in the bell jar. She is later admitted to a mental institution, where she'll shares her experiences with you. The rest you'll have to find out. The book jumps from time to time where she'll recall past events abruptly, this was quite confusing, but after the first couple times, I got the hang of it. There are some humour in this book that breaks the ice, mainly a bit of dark humour once a while. I thought the ending was rather ironic, as after a month of the book being published, Plath had committed suicide... Plath's poetic language and technique is what makes this novel unique, her ability to describe the details of a situation with similes and put every word together that made it so honest and real. She was able to convey the images and feelings of Esther and lets you in her world to portray mental instability. I also found it hard to separate Esther from the author of the book. This book evoked strong feelings from me when I read it. It is an emotional story and can somewhat be life-altering.
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Summary: Sylvia Plath at her Best
Review: Before reading "The Bell Jar," I read "Ariel," Plath's collection of poems that really address the climax of her depression with such great poems like "Daddy" and "Lady Lazarus." But it was only after I read "The Bell Jar," that I truly appreciated Plath's genius and sophistication as a writer. One of the reasons Plath was such a genius was her command of the English language. "The Bell Jar" does not read like a novel, but more like prose, which made the book a quick read. "The Bell Jar" tells the story of Ester Greenwood, a young woman interning at a woman's magazine in New York City. The reader fully witnesses Ester's decent into depression and her institutionalization in a mental hospital. Like her poetry, "The Bell Jar" is semi - autobiographical and very emotional. Plath also leaves the ending of the novel ambiguous, I do not want to give the ending away but I will say this, do not expect any sort of resolution. All in all, I would recommend this book to Plath fans and those who appreciate a clever, wonderfully written piece of literature.
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Summary: Everybody should read this book...
Review: It may or may not be the female version of Catcher in the Rye, but definitely a classic. After I read this book, it took me a while to figure out how much this book affected me. The book may seem strange in the way it is written. The plot seems flat at certain parts or unbelievable, but the reader should keep in mind that this book is based strongly on Sylvia Plath's life. Although not everybody will be affected by the book or will relate, it is definitely an important book to read. If a person really wants to get into the book (look past what's on the pages), I strongly suggest you read more about Sylvia Plath's life and read her poetry. You'll feel more connected to what's going on and understand more what she was going through.
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Summary: Mixed Reviews
Review: My family read this book together so we could discuss it, and after having read it, our feelings were mixed. Mom found this book utterly boring. She said she could not empathize with the main character, and didn't care what happened to her. Dad enjoyed the imagery, and said he would like to read some of her poetry. He also enjoyed her observations, which were at times witty and clever. But he felt the book was lacking. Then there's me. I really enjoyed The Bell Jar, finding it to be a real page-turner, even if not the greatest book I have ever read. After reading the biography in the back of the book, I have to think that Esther Greenwood and Sylvia Plath are one and the same. One interesting point of The Bell Jar is that it can be interpreted in many ways, but one doesn't have to TRY to interpret it in order to understand and enjoy the story. That is, it can be read on many levels. The content of this book is at times shocking, so I would steer the very faint of heart and children away. It's a good, easy read, and it paints a picture similar to Girl, Interrupted or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. If you like a good, psychological study, you might want to read The Bell Jar. I also suggest The Bell Jar to a book discussion group, as there is plenty to talk about as the story moves along.
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Summary: being under the bell jar
Review: Initialy i read this book based on the fact that a friend had read it and felt that she had either (a) misunderstood the book or (b) had been very unsympethetic toward the main character and was completely unsympathetic to her situation. Taking it upon myself to see if the book did indeed reveal the mystery of Sylvia Plath's disease (for that is truly what it is), I found it to pleasantly display her feelings during the book's time frame. Between Esther's high's and low's and her continual obsession with the thought of suicide until she finally tries it for herself, and then the eventual downfall of her friend, to the release of her from the confining spaces of the institution and the horror of shock therapy. I have heard many people voice a disatified emotion toward the somewhat abrupt ending of the book. I myself, while looking at the end of Plath's life, could easily see the path that Esther would soon follow. It shows a fantastic look into the unpredictableness of mental illness and describes, in detail the uncomfortableness of being trapped inside the distorting effects that the bell jar can produce upon us. For those of you who are fortunate enough to not know the tragic effect produced by the bell jar, you are truly the lucky ones.
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Summary: one of my favorite books ever!
Review: I recently bought the book just looking for something good to read and i immediately loved the book. I think that Sylvia Plath was very deep and involved in her writing and found i really felt how Ester was feeling.The book was different from the ones i recently read and i plan to read many more of Plaths' literary works.
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Summary: Not a good book
Review: I think the main reason people like this book is because they are young and immature. When I read this at 19, I was not blown away, but I didn't realize how bad it was until I read it again in my late 20's. There are some wonderfully described passages and some nice images (her talent as a poet coming through) but the dialogue is terrible and the characters are card board cut outs. Esther is self-pitying and morose, and I could care less about her or what happens to her. The chapter about her trying to write the novel is prob the most entertaining, but still no where being good. Plath did not think much of this book, and nor do I, and I think people should feel more compelled to admit it is boring and a poor work. On that note- Plath is a great poet, and many writers struggle outside their selected genre. She also has some racist remarks about the black men in the hospital, and none of the characters in Esther's world have a POV- it's all about her, and that's all. In order to get sympathy from your readers, a good writer needs to tell both sides, not just wallow in their own self pity and endless melodrama. I'd say read this with a pound of salt, but know it's not any good.
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Summary: fabulous
Review: a book portraying Plath's life.
Really emotionnal and full of passion.
A book to enjoy to read even though it is not an ironic book. It so interesting!
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Summary: So what the heck is a bell jar?
Review: The Bell Jar is, what is consider, one of Sylvia Plath's greatest works. Plath wrote this novel as a biographical fiction. Sylvia Plath took the main events during a certain part of her life and changed the names and characters. This novel eloquently describes Plath's downward spiral to depression in, what some criticas call, a Salinger mood. The themes in this novel vary from Esther Greenwood, the main character, dealing with the loss of her virginity to her hatred of the domestic role that women of her time were forced to play. I really enjoyed this book because it was real. It is interesting to know that the insane events that occur in the novel actually happened to the author. I would recommend this book to anyone that has an open mind to read about suicide, sex, and electroshock therepy. Read and enjoy!
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Summary: A wonderful read, even (especially?) today
Review: When I began this book I really didn't know what it was about, even though I knew a bit about Sylvia Plath's life. I was very shocked as I read on and found myself completely emotionally involved in Esther's life. It's a very gripping read, and one that I (a 19 year old college student studying english!) identified with muchly. At first it was hard for me to understand Esther's shift from being somewhat "normal" if not a bit apathetic, and suicidal depression. But if you read closely, the answers are there. I think Plath writes in a way that is very straight forward and without excessive emotion. She lets you react to her work without trying to force your ideas in one direction or another. Esther feels she has to kill herself: she gives a few reasons but doesn't try to persuade us that what she's doing is right or noble. She chronicles not only her own descent into depression and madness (which is written wonderfully -- we're as caught up in her own shattered perception as she is) but also the terrible psychological views of the time as well as treatments (lobotomies, electro-shock therapy), the stigma surrounding depression/madness, expectations for women, and the burdening pressure society has on young hopefuls. It's a wonderful story that is what it is and leaves you to make up your own mind. Even if you don't enjoy it or understand it, The Bell Jar is an important step in feminist novels, understanding psychological disorders, and literature itself.
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