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The Bell Jar

Sylvia Plath

Start date: March 1, 2023

Finish date: May 31, 2023

Discussion: Upcoming Books: No Spoilers

Why we're reading this: Revisit the Shelf Reread, March 2023

Revisit the Shelf Reread, April 2016

Previous Reads:
New School Classi…more
[close] Revisit the Shelf Reread, March 2023

Revisit the Shelf Reread, April 2016

Previous Reads:
New School Classic Group Read, December 2014

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Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler - No Spoilers
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What Members Thought

Sep 24, 2015 Tara rated it really liked it

Shelves: mental-illness, fiction, classics

I found this book both frustrating yet deeply affecting. Esther's sense of hollowness, the internal darkness and despair that grips inside and won't let go was palpable and rich. At one stage I had to put the book down because of the weight of the Esther's despair made me feel quite drained.

The book was frustrating in that I found it light on words, requiring the reader to quickly adjust to the new scene. Honestly, I wanted more from this book, more words, more 'flesh'. But even in this form, I ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2014 Melanti rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, 2014, classics, group-reads, library, mental-health

I have a really hard time reading books where a character does something that I feel is particularly stupid, self-destructive, or just anything I generally disapprove of. So, I guess it's it's no surprise I found this book a really frustrating read that made me want to bang my head against a wall.

This is thought of as a major feminist novel, and I can see where those critics are coming from. However, somehow I think if Plath had lived today, even with the modern sexual/gender freedoms, she would ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2016 Sharon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 2016-read, gilmore-girls, gilmore-girls-complete

The first half of the book was beautiful. It was dark, interesting, and Esther was easy to relate to - even the difficulties she was having with trying to figure herself out within the confines of the way her life was beginning to play out.

The second half of the book was disjointed, confusing at times, and simply sad to read. Her mental health did not seem to change at all during the last half the book. So as a reader, I'm not really sure what allowed her to be released from the asylum at the en ...more

Like · see review