The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar Review

The Bell Jar by Slyvia Plath is a troubling look into a young girls struggle with depression during the 1950's. The book begins with Esther, the main character, and her experience during an internship in New York. She finds herself unhappy with what is happening in her life. Her unhappiness escalates quickly and continues throughout the book. The book gives a clear depiction of how depression can consume your life.

Throughout the novel, Esther's slowly grows and pulls you as a reader in. Plath's description of Esther's decent into "the bell jar" is chilling; it almost seems that her depression is logical. The bell jar being Esther's feeling of being trapped and suffocated. Soon Esther finds herself unhappy with everything and resorting to unhealthy measures.

I thought this book was a gripping view into a girl's life. It was not action packed of filled with suspense but it was a interesting tale of how deep someone can fall into depression. I would recommend this book to others. It has great description and good attention to detail. Overall the books writing style can really grab you if you let it.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Bell Jar; Not living up to its hipe

Beginning very good. Middle was slow and becoming uninteresting. I trudge thru and it got a bit better towards to end. Will keep in my library but only recommending for a rainy days reading.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Bell Jar belongs on your shelf!

Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" reads like a wistful poem with its intriguing voice that echoes in the reader's ears long after the last page has been turned. Esther, the main character, is living what is supposed to be the perfect life for a young woman: she is attractive, academically successful, and is on her way to a glamorous career. But beneath this perfection pops up the depression which strangles her joy and smears misery into everything she does. The most magnificent part of the story is how I felt like I was drifting into the depression and insanity myself. This story is set in the mid-1900s, and it offers a fresh break from vampires and werewolves. Perfect for personal reading, "The Bell Jar" transcends beyond the super-cheery, life-is-perfect 'girl story' and offers something memorable all young adults can at least partially relate to.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Don't Bother!

This book is a disappointment. It started out okay and interesting, but it descends into nothing but complete boredom. Understanding that this is tragic story, I still did not see a talent in Sylvia Plath's writting.

I would never recommend this book to any person. It's basically a waste of time, nothing learned, nothing gained, only words.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Truly a classic.

Beautifully written, beautifully structured. Especially interesting to read now, as a contrast in time.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

AWESOME!

The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, is an intense novel about a struggling young woman named Esther Greenwood. Esther is brilliant, beautiful and talented. Unfortunately, she starts to slip under the tight grip of insanity. As the reader, you slip with Esther into her bell jar and get a deep look into the disturbing crevices of the human mind. I thought this novel was extremely well written and it is a book that you will not want to put down! The plot is shocking and twisting on a somewhat different and new level of darkness. This is definitely a classic and a great book for all ages.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Disappointing

I admit that I was dying to read the book once I heard of it - rushed to this store with the excuse that I needed it for school, when in reality it was a lie. I I was deeply intrigued by the beginning of the story, I couldn't leave the book alone - it joined me everywhere I went, but soon enough it lost that spark. I don't see 'her rapid downward spiral,' to me it was just her usual insane escapades, nothing more. Although it is interesting to know that this was Plath's account of her insanity, I must say I was let down by that second portion of the novel.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

worst book ever

this book was horrible. absolutely no story line. the horridness of the book is only surpassed by Hard Times by Charles Dickens

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not the best.

This is one of those books where you either love or hate it. I admire Plath's writing style, but the execution is muddy, you can tell the author was mad when you feel like killing yourself the more you progressed into the story. It had potential, but it's just not my taste and felt as if the book did not connect with me at all. Only read it if you can somehow relate to the author and have a ton of patience, because the plot is drawn out and has no climax.

Julia Stiles is going to mess up the film adaptation of this...

It's a shame Sylvia Plath left the world only one completed novel. Too bad she burned the follow-up novel to this work.

A hidden treasure. Enjoy

A hidden treasure. Enjoy

Excellent!

Reading this book, I truly felt it was autobiographical. I could feel her pain, sense of hopelessness, and isolation she experienced. Esther is a very smart and talented young college student who goes to New York City to serve as a guest editor for a fashion magazine. She describes her relationship with Buddy and girl friends she meets while in New York. Esther dissects her relationships with those she knows and is very descriptive in her thoughts, actions, and how she views others around her. This story gives the reader an opportunity to see how mental illness can slowly unravel a person's life, their relationship with self and others, and how it invades every part of your life and perceptions.

Captivating!

The author takes you on a picturesque journey about the unraveling of a young woman's mind. The story is glamorous, high class, emotional, and endearing. A reader can visibly see the pieces of the main character's mind falling apart. The settings are wonderfully placed, and the plot is easy to follow.

Worst book i have ever read

book is overall very boring i would not ever reccomend it to anyone who was thinking that they wanted to read it.
the plot was the most boring thing i had ever read. the plot had no depth to it, the plot also never had a good climax it kinda just progressed but not enough to know it.
the characters are not intersting at all. Esther is the main character she has no personality. she doesnt even have a very well thought base for herself. Buddy he is something else he is inteligent, but i feel he is a little bit of a man whore and he doesnt really care wabout what other people think of him no matter what. he is also a very boring character.
i would not recomend this to someone unless they were really desperate for a book to read no matter how bad it was.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A good read

I had been wanting to read this novel for awhile and finally purchased it. The cashier at the bookstore boasted about how it's a great book so I was even more intrigued. The story follows Esther Greenwood through her descent into depression as well as her idiosyncratic relationships with others. Overall, it was a good book. Not my favorite but not bad either. I thought the beginning was slow and somewhat boring but I enjoyed it a lot more toward the end. The chapters didn't leave you with suspense to read on nonstop, but I was still curious to see what happened next. I would reccommend this book to others.

Recommended!

I have never been a big fan of Sylvia Plath, but after reading "The Bell Jar" I have a new found respect for her. The way that Plath has written the story just sucks you in right from the beginning and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. The book encompasses you and makes you feel as if you are the one descending into insanity.

A Moving Piece Of Literature

I picked up this book and I could not put it down. It's the most interesting and personal book I've read in the 17 years of my life. This book changed my life forever.You peak inside Esther's life and you find a little piece of yourself in hers. You must read this book!

A great work of literature!

The Bell Jar
by: Sylvia Plath
Reviewed by: Alicia Dickerson

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is an incredible realistic story of a college-aged girl named, Esther Greenwood, who ventures through the emotionally-draining stages of depression. Esther Greenwood is a young woman who desires to shine in her writing career while looking for love in her life. Her depression starts to take its toll when she finds herself in many failed love attempts, and is declined her chance in a key writing class that could have sparked her career. Her depression begins to rise which leads into suicide attempts and being admitted to an asylum where the rest of the book is set. Esther refers to her depression as being in a bell jar against the world which she can either stay in or break the glass, "To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream."

The Bell Jar's first draft was written in 1957; the story was completed in 1962, and published in January 1963, under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. I believe this story was written beautifully because even though it was written in the late 1950's early 1960's, it can still relate to people going through depression today. Sylvia Plath takes you deep into Esther's mind and makes you realize what all goes on in the world of a suicidal addict. When Esther is admitted into the asylum, she paints the realistic picture with her thoughts and words which make you feel like you are experiencing life with her.

Sylvia Plath lets you in to Esther's difficult struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, but Sylvia is letting you into her own experiences as well. According to Frances McCullough, Sylvia Plath was also declined her admission into a university writing class and struggled with her love life. She had attempted suicide and had a bell jar summer of her own like Esther Greenwood. Unfortunately, Sylvia did commit suicide on February 11, 1963, a month after The Bell Jar was published.

The Bell Jar is a wonderfully fashioned piece of literature that allows you to feel and experience the emotions of a young woman in an asylum. Though it may be difficult to understand in some parts by the way Plath jumps back and forth from scenes, this story is a page turner that may leave you shocked in the end.

creative and morbid, but good

The poet in Sylvia Plath emerged in the entire course of the novel. Her descriptions are nothing short of beautiful, and the life of Esther Greenwood plays before your mind's eye like a motion picture. The opening image of New York city is so vivid you can practically feel the heat of summer in the city: "Mirage-gray at the bottom of their granite canyons, the hot streets wavered in the sun, the car tops sizzled and glittered, and the dry, cindery dust blew into my eyes and down my throat". I love it. The words ebb and flow and just create.

It is tough following a woman down into her depression. She has this great life working as an intern for a fashion magazine in the heart of New York City, and then, she just doesn't care anymore. Her life whirls around her and it's as if she just wants to get off the ride. And the voice is very conversational, very informal. I could relate to the character; even though I'm not depressed myself, I felt sympathy and friendship with Esther. If I had known her, I would have visited her in the asylum.

Anyway, it's a good book, thought-provoking, creative, a bit morbid, but well worth the read.

A Haunting Insight Into Sylvia Plath's Psyche

After analyzing her poetry and seeing the many connections between her life and poetry in IB English, I was intrigued by the fact that she had written only one novel. As I read, I realized that this book is virtually an artistic autobiography. You will see dozens of connections to her real life, from the death of her father at a young age to her many prestigious yet unfulfilling accomplishments to her electroconvulsive treatment in a mental hospital to her grave depression and insomnia. It's a good read and brilliantly written. However, if you're looking for entertainment and a good plot, this isn't really the book for you. I wouldn't recommend it for kids or the deeply religious, as this book is strongly atheist.