Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar - Informal Buddy Read; Starts November 23

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

This topic is open for discussion about The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath




Book synopsis:
The Bell Jar tells the story of a gifted young woman's mental breakdown beginning during a summer internship as a junior editor at a magazine in New York City in the early 1950s. The real Plath committed suicide in 1963 and left behind this scathingly sad, honest and perfectly-written book, which remains one of the best-told tales of a woman's descent into insanity.

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

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[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

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[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Yep, I'm in!

[Michelle]

I might try and join in on this one too!

[Christine]

I'm in!

[Joi]

I think I'm in.!

[RachelvlehcaR]

I would like to join. :)

[Rosina]

I will try this too.....always wanted to read this....

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

I found this on my daughter's shelf. She is a big fan and just visited Sylvia Plath's grave in Hebden Bridge in the UK while she's been living there. I've never read it, so I'm in for the buddy read too.

[Jen]

I'm joining also!

[Princess]

I like to join too :)

[Sarah]

I borrowed this from somebody at work for the BR. My co-worker thought it was weird.

[Shinjini]

I'm in. :)

[Sydney]

I'm in.

[Lára]

I don't really like informal buddy reads, but I'm interested in this book, so I might join.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Sarah wrote: "I borrowed this from somebody at work for the BR. My co-worker thought it was weird."

Your co-worker thought the book was weird or the buddy read was weird?

[Kaitlin]

I'm in for this one.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

I'm going to be starting this tomorrow.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

I've started and read the first three chapters. I had to do a bit of research about Sylvia Plath when I started - what a sad story. The book is set in the 60's in NYC so it will be interesting to get the perspective of a young woman dealing with all the changes of that decade.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

I'm supposed to start this today so I will try to get it going when I get into bed tonight.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

Good Teresa. It will great to have someone reading along with me.

[Christine]

I'm hoping to start this book tomorrow. It will be a reread for me, but I first read it almost 20 years ago so I'm sure it will seem almost brand new! :-)

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

Good one Christine. I wonder how much you'll remember.

[Sarah]

Lára wrote: "I don't really like informal buddy reads, but I'm interested in this book, so I might join."

She thought the book was weird.

[Sarah]

Oh dear. I may start this a little late.

[Andrea]

I'm gonna join you for this one too. I'll start the book tonight.

[RachelvlehcaR]

I'm going to start the book later tonight. :) Can't wait.

[Michelle]

I've managed to get through the first three chapters and don't really know how i feel about the story yet.
I do hope it gets a bit more engaging soon considering how popular it seems to be.
Has anyone else started it yet?

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

Hi Michelle, I'm three quarters done. I know its a classic but boy do I find it tragic considering what happened to the author not long after she wrote it. Its nearly like a cry for help.

[Princess]

I agree with Michelle, this is kinda slow paced for me. I still want to continue this thou because according to some interview this is like the own experiences of the author.

[Shinjini]

Starting this tonight. I read up on Sylvia Plath's life and I'd like to know more about the events leading up to her depression. I hope I'm ready for this.

[Rosina]

I started and read the first three chapters I'm enjoying it so far

[Andrea]

I've read up to chapter 6. My edition has a nice foreword that talked about Sylvia Plath's life. I'm finding (view spoiler)[that the author talks a lot about just staying in bed and not getting up to eat etc. which I'm thinking might be a bit of a red flag... (hide spoiler)]

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

I'm on page 56, which I believe is the start of chapter 5 or 6. I had only intended to read two chapters but I was really sucked in. I've got to put this down so I can read a chapter in a few other books I'm doing buddy reads for. I don't want to. I'm really drawn into this story already. On the one hand, I am intrigued and want to read more but on the other, I am concerned about how sad or depressing it is going to become. Not because I can't handle sad or depressing books but because I am going to feel for this girl and wish I could make everything okay for her. I don't think mental illness was properly handled back in the 60s, when this story takes place so I fear that she's going to end up going through some horrible treatments. Plus, taking gender issues into account. She might be brushed off as having "girl troubles" or something...dramatic, etc.

Andrea, my book has a forward like that, too. Wonder if we have the same copy. I agree about (view spoiler)[her wanting to stay in bed and how that is a red flag. She has mentioned that she enjoys eating so it will be interesting to see if this changes as she spirals deeper into a depression. (hide spoiler)]

I had a lot of reservations about reading this book for a long time because it seemed to be the go-to book for melodramatic adolescent females for a long time, some seeming to romanticize depression and suicide (no idea if the character of Esther commits suicide, but if you know the story of Sylvia Plath...). Then, I read a few reviews here on GR by people I respect and many of them mentioned having the same reservations but that once they read the book they discovered that it was a really well-written account of one woman's spiral into depression/schizophrenia.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl)]

I finished the book this morning. I have really mixed feelings about it. I can't say I "liked" it, the subject matter was so tragic especially when you juxtapose it with Sylvia Plath's actual life.

But I can appreciate the writing and how brave it was to publish a book about these subjects in the 60's.

[Princess]

@andrea and @Teresa Is this your edition ? Cause I have that one and there's a very awesome foreword about the author and there are included life about the author and her other works.

[Andrea]

Princess wrote: "@andrea and @Teresa Is this your edition ? Cause I have that one and there's a very awesome foreword about the author and there are included life about the author an..."

I have an e-book but that's not the cover for it. The foreword is by her editor I think.

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

That's my copy, Princess.

[Rosina]

I am starting chapter 7. I too am sucked into this story. I find it quite interesting to read about how different life was 50 years ago. In some ways seems a much simpler time.

[Shinjini]

I am about to start 5. I really like the style narration so far. Very engaging and simple. It almost feels like a contemporary.

[Christine]

Princess wrote: "@andrea and @Teresa Is this your edition ? Cause I have that one and there's a very awesome foreword about the author and there are included life about the author an..."

That's the edition I'm reading, and I enjoyed the forward too. It makes me want to read some of her poetry as well.

I'm currently reading Chapter 3. I really like the narration too. It feels very personal and it is definitely drawing me in.

[RachelvlehcaR]

I picked up my copy for the library and started reading last night. I'm currently reading this The Bell Jar and enjoyed the forward by Frances McCullough.

[Shinjini]

I have a different cover version ( ) but it has the foreword by Frances McCullough as well. It got me very interested to know why Plath's mother was so against the publishing of the book. I haven't found any direct incriminating evidence with regard to her but I'm waiting to know more.

[RachelvlehcaR]

Chapter 1,
I'm enjoying how easy it is to read. (view spoiler)[ It really upset her seeing the cadaver. She couldn't get it out of her mind. She saw it everywhere. What a eerie description of how it lingers. It really stuck with her. "I felt as though I we carrying that cadaver's head around with me on a string, like some black, noseless balloon stinking of vinegar." (hide spoiler)]

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

This book is such a quick read that I'm finding it hard to come here and discuss it! There's so much I like about it but I have a hard time putting it all into words.

I agree, Shinjini, it is very engaging and simple. Simple in a good way. I feel like I am really getting to know this girl.

It is interesting to read what feels like a young adult novel from the mind of someone who was a young adult in the 50s, as opposed to say a recently written YA that might take place in the 50s.

This is a girl who was raised, from the sound of it, in a small town and now she's trying to figure out how to survive in a city like New York. She's not the most sophisticated creature but she is trying to adapt by observing others. I'm not really sure I like Doreen being her influence but we'll see how that works out for her.

[RachelvlehcaR]

Here are my thoughts up to page 50, I stopped at Chapter 5.

Chapter 1

(view spoiler)[She really likes and envies Doreen, especially in how she describes her, how she looks and smells. How her says “Doreen has intuition. Everything she said was like a secret voice speaking straight out of my own bones.” She was infatuated by her and wanted to live through her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2

(view spoiler)[I’m very impressed in how Plath created a great story. This story is going to make me really sad. I know this because it’s going to mirror her life. It is a semi-autobiography. It’s interesting how Plath went under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas when it was first published to hide this from her mother.

“I never feel so much myself as when I’m in a hot bath.” So true. It’s a wonderful way to take everything away. She described exactly how I feel when I’m soaking in the bath. Everything goes away and it’s like a reset. Does everyone feel this way? :P

Seeing Doreen in the vomiting drunken stupor really made her fall from the infatuation she had on Doreen. It reminded her of her uncleanness, how unclean everyone is at times. Something ugly but what stuck out to me was her word usage, “concrete testimony to my own dirty nature.” This is some major self-loathing and denial about areas of her that she battles with. Doreen’s state made her see it. How will it play on their relationship? Not everyone can deal with building themselves up. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3

(view spoiler)[I’m jealous of her eating habits. I wish I was able to eat what I want and how much I want without gaining weight!

I love the sex cycle of the fern it’s so interesting! I love that she put that in.

Haha! Her plan to go into Shakespeare. Too much effort in her manipulation. Pride. Pride will get you every time. She’s horrible. She got her way and fooled them all. Tuning him out, enjoying the light show and writing pages of villanelles and sonnets. Poor Mr. Manzi. I actually did for one of my classes. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4

(view spoiler)[LOL. That’s so funny she didn’t know what a finger bowl was and ate the cherry blossoms floating in it thinking it was Japanese after dinner soup. That was wonderful. Reminds me of Red Dwarf with Rimmer and his gestapo soup. Too funny.

I really loved this part, it’s about her going to the movies and watching the horrible Technicolor movie, “At about this point I began to feel peculiar. I looked round me at all the rows of rapt little heads with the same silver glow on them at the front and the same black shadow on them at the back, and they looked like nothing more or less than a lot of stupid moonbrains.” I hate those moments where you feel pity for people. It’s the moment you are like stop this madness and do something!

So true, “There is nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.” The whole puking scene is exactly how I feel when I’m vomiting too. It’s a torture chamber tiled of hell. Awesome imagery.

Plath’s descriptions are really vivid. When she is talking about hearing her own heartbeat (with outright saying it); I can sense that feeling of my own heartbeat in my ears. I hate being that sick. Food poisoning is the worst. Even her room has sympathy for her, lol. I can feel the dread of being sick. (hide spoiler)]

[ilovebakedgoods (Teresa)]

Rachel, love the comments and your insights!

I agree about the hot bath thing. So relaxing and invigorating and cleansing! Also, (view spoiler)[I wonder why Sylvia did not want her mother to know she wrote this! Intriguing... (hide spoiler)]

There is some speculation about the name Esther Greenwood having meaning to the author but I forget now what it is. I read about it not long ago but haven't retained the info. I'm sure I can find it again if I feel like looking it up.

Oh, I loved that in Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[how she manipulated the school! wow!! That was some dedication. I cracked up when she revealed that she had been writing sonnets and villanelles during the lectures. "I shut his voice out of my ears by pretending it was a mosquito in a distance." I have to do that any time I want to read in a crowded room.

The sex cycle of the fern was interesting, too. I'm going to see if I can find images of that online. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4:(view spoiler)[ I loved that part about the movie, too! I loved her description of the people, very astute.

Yep, loved the imagery with the food poisoning, too. I recently had a bout and it was hell and she described what I felt perfectly. I relived it through her words. Ugh. I love that quote about puking together making you old friends, ha! She is a very talented writer. (hide spoiler)]

[Shinjini]

I quite like this chapterwise comments so I'm going to do that as well. Thank you, Rachel. :D

Foreword:
I really liked the foreword. Frances McCullough beautifully described the story behind the publishing of the book and how the publishing house overcame the many hurdles that came their way. The fact that many people didn't find this book all that readable at the time was also very interesting as it describes the great change in reading patterns and tastes between then and now. I especially found that particular fact rather charming when he mentioned how he had asked a sales manager to read the book overnight and only because he absolutely loved it that the book came to be published. To imagine that this classic wouldn't have been published if he hadn't liked this book and thought it would have great sales.. wow!

Chapter 1:
(view spoiler)[ I am finding the friendship between Esther and Doreen very unhealthy. Doreen is clearly the alpha in the friendship, which isn't wrong certainly, but it felt like Esther didn't have much of a say in any matter as Doreen's opinion would always take preference over hers, especially since Esther was so infatuated by her. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2:
(view spoiler)[ I love the contemporary feel of the novel. It's so simple a narration with no fluff and I'm enjoying this so far. I particularly did not like how Doreen just dumps Esther and goes off with Lenny. It seems like she was only using Esther and had no real feeling of friendship for her. It's a good thing though that she came to help Esther when she was sick later on. I wonder what's going to happen to this friendship. Will it survive for long? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3:
(view spoiler)[ Aah! Miss Goody-Two-Shoes isn't all that good, is she? I like the naughty side to Esther's character. She isn't perfect and there's nothing wrong with that. But I'm extremely jealous of her eating habits. Which girl wouldn't be?

My favourite quote from this chapter is this, "The day I went into Physics class it was death." I used to feel the same way about Physics at some point. :P (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4:
(view spoiler)[I loved the fingerbowl anecdote! Her benefactress must have been surprised!
The part where she refers to moonbrains was so accurate. I have had those particular moments as well where I just cannot believe how dull some people can be. Times haven't changed a lot in this respect.
I have never puked with someone so I am not sure how to feel about that whole episode but it was a nice quote. But I'll probably have to do it with someone before I know how it feels. :P
As I said before, I liked how Doreen attempted to care for Esther. But I'm not very sure about her yet. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5:
(view spoiler)[The part where she mentions that she is clueless about tipping I loved because I am clueless about that as well. I always either tip too much or too little. The "too much" part is more often. The servicemen and women love me! :P

The way she describes the initial stages of her relationship with Buddy really warms my heart. It just goes to show that Esther(and in turn, Sylvia) was a very normal girl and did the same amount of gushing over boys that most girls do. She became jealous, she wanted to discuss with her friends when she was asked to prom by a guy, it's all too sweet so far.

Favourite quote from this chapter is this one, "If you expect nothing from somebody, you are never disappointed." That's so true, isn't it? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6:
(view spoiler)[I am amazed that Esther doesn't flinch at the sight of the dead. I think I would run a mile if I ever saw a cadaver. Also, the childbirth part had its gory details and I was grimacing through reading that myself.
I felt sorry for Esther when she got to know about Buddy's relations with women. He could very well have been honest about it from Day One. It wouldn't have hurt her so much.

Favourite quote: "You oughtn't see this[childbirth]. You'll never want a baby if you do. They oughtn't to let women watch. It'll be the end of the human race."
I couldn't help finding this funny. I'm scared but it's a little funny. :P (hide spoiler)]

Teresa, I read this part where she writes that names with the same number of letters makes for a good pseudonym. It made me think of Esther and Sylvia both having 6 letters but I can't find that particular quote now.

I agree with what you say. It's interesting to read a young adult's perspective from the past. Also, I'm finding Esther very endearing. She has insecurities of her own and she's making her way through the big bad city that is New York and it's lovely to see her try and fight it out with the world. I'm liking this book so far. :)

[Christine]

I just finished the book. I approached this read with a tiny bit of trepidation - I first read this book 20 years ago as a teenager, and I loved it then. I was worried that I would not like it as much from my current perspective in life, but I was wrong. I think I appreciate it much more this second reading.

(view spoiler)[
This book is really an amazing glimpse at what it is like to experience severe depression. During the section of the book that takes place in New York, you can see the small signs of it starting: the subtle feeling of separateness from her friends, the rumination on her failures, the crying jags, the task of packing a suitcase becoming a daunting and exhausting challenge that she's unable to complete. When she returns home, we see in Esther the sleeplessness, the loss of appetite, the inability to concentrate. We also see some of the pieces of mental illness that make it so difficult to deal with: her mother wanting to help but not knowing how, Esther wanting to ask for help but being too afraid of what will happen to her if she admits all her symptoms, and her first doctor's incompetence in administering treatment.

Plath's vivid descriptions her experience of depression struck me, such as:
“because wherever I sat—on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris or Bangkok—I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.”
“But when it came right down to it, the skin of my wrist looked so white and defenseless that I couldn't do it. It was as if what I wanted to kill wasn't in that skin or the thin blue pulse that jumped under my thumb, but somewhere else, deeper, more secret, and a whole lot harder to get.”

And I was also struck by the contrast of these two passages:
Chapter 13:
"I thought I would swim out until I was too tired to swim back. As I paddled on, my heartbeat boomed like a dull motor in my ears. I am I am I am." In this passage, when she is contemplating suicide, her heartbeat seems like an unwanted annoyance that she is unable to rid herself of.
Chapter 20:
"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am." In this passage, at the end of the novel after she has received treatment, her heartbeat seems more like a confident steadying force.
(hide spoiler)]

The edition I read also included a "biographical note" written by Lois Ames at the end that was also very illuminating on how much of this novel really is representative of Plath's own life. Even though the novel ends on a more upbeat note, it is impossible to read it that way without filling in the blanks in one's mind of how Plath's life ended.

I am very glad I read this novel again, but it is very sobering. I definitely intend to read some of Plath's poetry soon.