The Bell Jar: Sylvia Plath Paperback – 2 Jun. 2005

When I ordered The Bell Jar it felt like I was paying to be tortured. It has a reputation of being a depressing book, but one well written, so in my quest for a good book, the order was made.When I began reading The Bell Jar my initial thought, was 'this isn't as depressing as I thought' as even though the protagonist is depressed, she's in New York doing something that she was pleased to be doing. But as I read on, the life of this young woman seemed to implode. Her own beliefs and upbringing brought her into a situation that she couldn't cope with, and the way she kept others at a distance meant that she had nowhere to go for help. She fantasises and becomes excessively unsociable. The world becomes too tortuous for her. The protagonist is electro shocked in a state asylum which Plath writes so well that it leaves even you feeling violated, and fearful of a repeat.Fortunately a benefactor gets her into a better hospital where the world is quite different. Here we see the protagonist make judgements on others in the same or similar situations and we see a world that those who never enter into an hospital for depression never see. We also see her judge and excuse herself. The entire book is like a window into the mind of a depressed young woman who should have the world at her feet, but instead finds herself trapped within a bell jar of her own design.Of course the book is written based on Plaths own experience in an asylum, originally writing the book under a pseudonym she felt that the work drew so much on her life that she needed to protect certain characters and family. But this is what makes the book so enthralling and real life. As a poet she has a command over the English language that makes this work so thought provoking, so vivid, that it's thoroughly engrossing. Is it depressing? Yes, OK it is. But it's a wonderful piece of literature and expression of psychology that it's well worth the emotional upheaval.

I had put off reading The Bell Jar for many years because I always assumed it would be melancholy and hard going. Instead, it was quick and easy to read but very difficult to review, perhaps because my impressions were coloured by the knowledge that it was semi-autobiographical. As a work of fiction, I'm not sure that I'd recommend it, although it's well written and some of the imagery is every bit as poetic as you'd expect it to be. As a novel based on Sylvia Plath's own experiences, however, it's a brilliant portrayal of a young woman for whom nothing and nobody has any real value or meaning.It's a fragmented story, told from the viewpoint of Esther Greenwood as she embarks on a month's work in New York after winning a contest for her writing. From the start it is clear that Esther is something of a misfit who relates to neither her fellow students nor to any of the men she meets, and her narrative flits here and there as she lurches from one subject to another.At the end of the month she returns home disillusioned by the futility of everything she has seen and experienced. From hereon she slides further into mental illness, whose treatment during the fifties and early sixties was as disturbing as the lack of understanding shown to sufferers. Mercifully, I have never suffered from depression so in some ways found it hard to relate to Esther. On the other hand I have worked with clients who have attempted suicide so was able to sympathise with her and wish I could do something to help her. At the same time a part of me felt like telling her to pull herself together and do something useful - the sort of reaction I'd have expected from my mother but not one I'd ever have imagined applied to me.The significance of the title eluded me until it was revealed late in the story. Indeed, I couldn't see how it could ever be relevant, but it offers the perfect image of what the writer herself must have experienced.Despite the gloomy subject matter, the book is not depressing and even contains occasional hints of humour and amusement. I have to admit that there were times when I disliked it and considered it worth only two or three stars, but to dismiss it that lightly would be unfair. For me, the book improved as it went on, until the final chapter which contained some of the most poetic prose I have read for a long time.Some of the reviews suggest that if you've suffered from depression this book will be a comfort, knowing that others have felt the same and have survived. If you haven't suffered in this way, you should still read it - and don't give up if you don't like it. It doesn't take long to read and it really is worth persevering to the end. I wouldn't place it among the great classics of all time, but by the time I reached the end it felt like a book that everyone should experience if only to provide insight into the suffering of others.

Plath's semi-autobiographical novel is a great piece of writing, easy to read and not as heavy going somehow, despite the exploration of depression, breakdown, isolation. For anyone who has ever suffered with depression, this is an absolute must read - and good for those who have had to try to support and understand someone who has. It's hard not to be moved by this book.

I saw this on offer and took the opportunity to read a classic. I loved the first half of this book where Esther is living as a socialite in New York. I really warmed to her dry wit and matter of fact-ness.The second half of the book details her breakdown and time in an asylum. This is obviously an important subject, but it does drag and isn’t particularly pleasant to read. I guess the mixed up plots and writing of the second half is supposed to represent her jumbled mind, but it becomes tiresome after a while and I was ready for the book to finish sadly.