Bell the Bell Jar

Book name – The Bell Jar Author – Sylvia Plath Genre – Fiction So after a long time, bookstagram made me read this masterpiece and I am so glad that I did. So here is my take on this book: This is the story of Esther Greenwood, a protagonist who initially seems fine but then she spirals into depression and suicidal thoughts. The novel shows how she manages (or fails) to deal with a world full of negativity or perhaps how her mental state leads her to see more negatives than positives. It portrays how she copes with the death of her father, the loss of friends, and inner despair. She survives an asylum stay, struggles with her own depression, and tries to find a way out of her mental prison. The Bell Jar works as a metaphor: people trapped inside their own minds, unable to break free. They want to do things but they can’t; this frustration becomes overwhelming and eventually pushes them toward despair. Also The Bell jar mean walking Dead !! Esther loves writing and creative pursuits, but depression becomes so suffocating that she can’t even hold a pen in her hand. The build-up of frustration, lack of trust in people, breakups, disappointments everything culminates in her ending up in a psychic ward. The book has an open ending: it doesn’t clearly state whether she really recovers or not. Some readers (and critics) relate Esther’s story to Sylvia Plath’s real life knowing that Plath died by suicide and call the book tragic. Have you read this book if yes then, tell me your take on this book in comments??? If not then read this book asap

The Bell Jar is an unflinching and intimate look at a mind slowly closing in on itself. Through Esther Greenwood’s perspective, Plath captures the suffocating weight of expectation, identity, and untreated mental illness with painful clarity. The fig tree metaphor especially stayed with me, each fig representing a different life Esther might live, all rotting as she stands unable to choose perfectly expressing her paralysis and fear of committing to one version of herself. The prose is sharp, darkly honest, and quietly devastating, making this novel less of a story and more of an experience that lingers long after the final page.

“It was a queer sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.” The first sentence itself gives a glimpse into her thought process which hooked me to the book. The book goes through the experiences of the protagonist Esther Greenwood while she is working as an intern in a fashion magazine in New York during the summer and how she views people around her. After she completes her internship, she moves back to Boston but her life does not turn out the way she envisioned it to be. And then slowly but surely, she falls into depression and ultimately takes help. The book also deals with how the protagonist faced critique from the society as she decided to focus on her career rather than getting married and settling down. The book also gives a glimpse into New York of that time. Coming to the title, the bell jar is metaphorical to depression. The protagonist felt trapped inside a bell jar and she could see everyone around her and how they were behaving and they could see her perfectly normal externally. She wanted someone to come and save her but nonetheless no one could see what she was going through internally. The book deals with the complexities of the human mind, the protagonist trying to find her place in the world, societal expectations and taboos on women, depression and suicide. I felt the book was quite ahead of its time since it was set in the 1950’s and navigates through the mental health journey of the protagonist. I found the writing style quite intense and gripping. It was extremely difficult for me to continue reading the book as it became quite overwhelming at times. The book was moderately paced for me. I will treasure reading such an honest portrayal of the author’s life experiences making the book semi-autobiographical. However, I won’t suggest this book for beginners or anyone going through anything difficult in their life becz this book is quite disturbing and it can trigger u.

The book is a timeless classic there's no way it was written in 1960's.Sylvia was ahead of her time.The book came in a very good condition and price was reasonable too. Looking forward to reading this book.

Leí The Bell Jar con muchas ganas y no me decepcionó. Es un libro que remueve bastante, especialmente si alguna vez has pasado por momentos difíciles a nivel emocional. Sylvia Plath escribe con una claridad brutal, sin filtros, y eso hace que todo se sienta muy real. Hay partes incómodas, tristes, incluso agobiantes, pero también momentos de observación aguda y una forma muy especial de mirar el mundo. La protagonista no busca caer bien, simplemente es honesta, y eso me gustó. No es una lectura ligera ni bonita en el sentido clásico, pero sí importante. Me pareció muy valiente. En cuanto a la edición, esta de Faber es sencilla pero bonita. La portada es llamativa y el papel tiene buena calidad. El tamaño de letra es cómodo para leer. Lo recomiendo, sobre todo si te interesa la literatura escrita por mujeres o los libros que exploran la salud mental desde dentro.

I knew it would be good; this was far better than expected. A dark story that draws you in with its borderline characters and unexpected outcomes. Brilliantly written. I will have to read it again.

The book arrived torn and broke at the back and spine. Terrible

Tył ksiażki jest uszkodzony, z paczka nie było żadnych problemów, przyszła w jednym kawałku bez wgnieceń a w środku była zabezpieczona. Czyli coś się musiało stać przed wysyłka. Oprócz tego wszystko dobrze, a dostarczona została szybciej niż przewidywano.

chegou perfeitamente. tem uma ótima diagramação. achei a capa um pouco frágil, mas uma vez que o transporte não causou nenhum dano, basta ser cuidadoso.