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Summary: The Bell Jar
Review: This poignant novel by Sylvia Plath about a young woman's nervous breakdown holds many life lessons. The Bell Jar uses symbolism and synicism in it's many layers to express the harsh reality of depression and feelings of social inequality. This book is worth the time taken to read it's pages.
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Summary: The Bell Jar
Review: The Bell Jar is the best book I have ever read. The book shows a great sense of feminism and feelings against men. The book explains very clearly the feelings that Plath has gone through. The scenes of suicide are powerful, and makes one look at why someone would desire to take their life. The book takes a look at depression, on a slightly darker scale. Parts of the book are so deep, that it draws the reader's emotions into the life of Esther, the main character of the book.Esther suffers depression, even though in the beginning of the book, she has almost every girls dream, to be living in New York City, for one month free, after winning a contest. The book takes a look at the darker moments in Esther's life, revealing her innermost thoughts, fears, and emotions. Plath's writing is able to make the reader break down along with Esther, and her many faultering emotions. Most women will be able to relate with the ever changing emotions and easy annoyance that Esther goes through. Feeelings of lonlyness, rage, anger, jelousy, anxiety and distress have a great hold throughout the book.
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Summary: The Bell Jar
Review: This book has been frequently labeled as one of the first salinger like books with a woman as the main character. However, that label is a huge insult to the Bell Jar and Sylvia Plath who has ten times the skill of salinger and her book is ten times more real and more intresting. Despite the differences, this book shares one fault with salingers in that both rely heavily on a main character, Holden and in Plath, Esther. So if you find your self hating Esther, than you probably won't like any of the book. That said, Plath makes Esther much more appealing and likeable than holden, most likely because the character is more genuine than Holden Caufield. The story itself gave me the chills at the end, which is ironic, though it was not intended to be so and that is what gets you while you read the book: The fact that she worked so hard battling depression only to fall back under the bell jar shortly after the book was published. However, as one reviewer earlier suggested, this book is more than a descent into madness, it also makes social commentary on the role of woman and the suburban life, i can't find that review now but it was really excellent you should look through and find it.
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Summary: Funny and Moving
Review: I read The Bell Jar for a research paper on Sylvia Plath. As I researched info on her life, I was amazed at the events that happened to her that ended up in the novel. The first part of the novel is very funny. The humor slows down at the climax, and stays there for a bit during the conclusion. However, by the end of the book, I felt that I had read everything that was happening before. It was a lot like Girl, Interrupted's hospital, and I realize that this book was the forerunner for these psychological memoirs.
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Summary: Nice little read.
Review: This is a great book. It neatly shows how those with psychiatric problems may look normal on the outside but inside they are rotting (and I think I am entitled to use the word rotting). Plath's work clearly demonstrates how even the most promising are in reality just a few steps away from personal hells. The descriptions of electro-convulsive therapy are terrifying (although the process has suppousedly been made less barbaric today). It would be interesting to read this book if it had been written today when psychotropic drugs are somewhat more effective.
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Summary: The Bell Jar - One of the best books I've ever read.
Review: I heard about The Bell Jar from amazon.com and all the reviews seemed to be fairly well so I went out and bought it. From the very beginning I loved Esther. If you're openminded, you can connect with her on this strange level. Sometimes you want to reach out to her and tell her it will be alright. A woman with everything she has has no reason to be depressed. But that's one of my favorite things about the book. Unlike others she doesn't become depressed over a man or a lost loved one, it's just something that happens to her, and even she can't figure it out.At the beginning Esther is a brilliant young college student with great determination. However something, and there seems to be no explination for it, causes her to become depressed. Over and over she talks about "being her old self again." She goes through many institutions and a few shock treatments after attempted suicide before the "bell jar" is lifted from her head. I love the way she describes her thoughts. I love the way she reacts to Buddy Willard and the way she stands up for herself to men unlike alot of women. I love everything about Esther, and I think you will too. Words cannot describe this book as mine seem far from it. Esther almost seems to come alive in this book.
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Summary: Downward Spiral
Review: This is a very pointed look at a young woman's descent into psychosis. Plath is a blunt author and there are many questions as to if this book is an autobiography. The main character, Esther, uses many aliases (aliai?) and tells a story that lines up quite well with that of Mrs.Plath. This was a required reading book this year at school for me, but I will tell you this. I read it over the summer and liked it-but I enjoyed it more this time around. This is a powerful book and is written with a lot of well thought out imagery and symbolism. If you have seen the movie Girl, Interupted or read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest you will find this book of interest. But if you have a light stomach beware in the last three or so chapters. One of my all time favorites!
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Summary: A Reflection of Sylvia Plath
Review: Reading Sylvia Plath's novel, The Bell Jar, is like entering the life of a young woman that is trying to grow up in a male-dominated society. The main chareacter, Esther Greenwood, is approached by many mental and physacle obsticles. Her mind is overcomed by many emotions and menatlly challenged problems. She struggles with many issues from suicide to relationships. The Bell Jar is a great book for woman and especially teens. It deals with some issues that young ladies deal with everyday. Esther Greenwood portrayed a self-reliant woman, but was in need of help from the world that she avoided. Sylvia's style of writing is very simplistic and easy to understand, but is also full of radiant detail. It's not a story that causes bordem, but instead curiosity and interest. This book is said to be a reflection of the Plath's life,but is also a reflecton to lives of many young woman all over the world. This novel is some what disturbing but is a true American classic.
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Summary: My thoughts on Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar"
Review: The minute I began reading this book, I was captivated. No other book has done that for me and initially I was shocked. I expected a less interesting book than it really was. Usually, I critiscize all the books I read but this one is my all-time favorite. Esther Greenwood opens the book as a normal girl trying to write in New York City. She then spirals downward into her eventual breakdown. Sylvia Plath vividly describes Esther's disease and her road to recovery. I know this is a short description but the book is SO good that I didn't want to say more to ruin it. If you are interested in Sylvia Plath, read this book because it will leave a lasting impression. -Melissa, 14 years old
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Summary: A classic and one of my all-time favorites
Review: Plath has sharp insight into the catty "why-bother" view of the world as many suicides see it. In turns humorous, serious, and philisophical she savages the expectations of women in the 1950s the powerlessness of adolescents in that pre-scripted world. Gender roles are more flexible today in no small part thanks to the proliferation of this book on college campuses in the late 60s and early 70s. It is readable and challenging. Only decades after it's creation, many of it's phrases are among the most familiar in English literature.
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