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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a book that I had on my real life shelf for a long time and finally got around to reading it.
I really found this novel a dramatic and touching read. The book follows the in depth struggle of a young woman called Esther Greenwood.
Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of the story, is a mentally unstable young woman and she gradually slips into a dark depression while living in New York. She is tormented with the idea of death and tries to commit suicide, believing th ...more
I really found this novel a dramatic and touching read. The book follows the in depth struggle of a young woman called Esther Greenwood.
Esther Greenwood, the protagonist of the story, is a mentally unstable young woman and she gradually slips into a dark depression while living in New York. She is tormented with the idea of death and tries to commit suicide, believing th ...more
This autobiographical story of a young woman journeying through severe depression made Plath a recognized and respected name beyond poetry circles. Although Plath was a gifted writer who brings the reader into an intimate proximity with the narrator, we never are drawn under the dark veil of depression and suicidal impulses. We see how the narrator acts, but never experience what she feels. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful bit of writing that will remain a classic. This was a re-read for me.
We follow Esther from the early stages of her depression through an attempt at suicide and then various treatments. Esther seems to have it all with a scholarship, an internship at a magazine in New York with everything paid for, straight A's and a boyfriend studying to become a doctor. But since her father's death, she hasn't been able to find happiness in anything and has lost all sense of direction. She has no clue as to what she wants do with her life in a time where a lot of women just end
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I listened to Maggie Gyllenhaal perform this book. I think her voice and talent did an expert job of capturing Esther. I read where people compare this to Catcher in the Rye, but I kept thinking about The Awakening. Knowing that this parallels Plath's life I think this does an excellent job of showing what can go on in a person's mind that needs mental health help. I found it interesting the descriptions - pure, clear, fresh, and clean were used early on but disappeared as Esther was getting ill
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I am revisiting some of my favorite classics listening to them in the car going back and forth to Athens for bridge. The Bell Jar is as good as I remember it - tragic, but GOOD! Maggie Gyllenhaal became Sylvia Plath to me in the first hour of the audiobook, and she was so realistic in her reading that I could feel Sylvia's anguish and frustration including the shock treatments she dreaded and had to endure. So glad I revisited this book. On to A Doll's House!
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Jan 25, 2010
Angie
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
autobiographical-fiction
It took me a while to really get into this book. In fact it took me until the last few chapters to really like this girl. The way it was written was a bit confusing and I felt the girl was a bit over dramatic. But then I found out this story was pretty much the author's real life and I felt kind of bad for her. Still it was only ok to me as a book.
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