Sylvia Plath, 1963
I would advise giving her a quick look-up before reading The Bell Jar, since so much of this novel is semi-autobiographical.
I would advise giving her a quick look-up before reading The Bell Jar, since so much of this novel is semi-autobiographical.
Plot:
Esther Greenwood is seemingly the perfect young lady, who has a sharp wit, a prestigious New York City internship, and an enthusiastic suitor from Yale. The one thing she lacks is a sound mind-- and as a result, her once "perfect" life is rapidly spiraling out of control.
Esther Greenwood is seemingly the perfect young lady, who has a sharp wit, a prestigious New York City internship, and an enthusiastic suitor from Yale. The one thing she lacks is a sound mind-- and as a result, her once "perfect" life is rapidly spiraling out of control.
By The Cover:
First Line:
"It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they executed the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York."
Last Line:
*warning: this may be a spoiler! But make of it what you will, if you'd like to read it anyway.
"The eyes and the faces all turned themselves toward me, and guiding myself by them, as by a magical thread, I stepped into the room."
A Quote:
"The floor seemed wonderfully solid. It was comforting to know that I had fallen and could fall no further."
Beautifully phrased, but also really sad to think about. Yes, she's literally just kinda lying on the floor.
"The eyes and the faces all turned themselves toward me, and guiding myself by them, as by a magical thread, I stepped into the room."
A Quote:
"The floor seemed wonderfully solid. It was comforting to know that I had fallen and could fall no further."
Beautifully phrased, but also really sad to think about. Yes, she's literally just kinda lying on the floor.
Favorite Part:
Kind of hard to nail down, but I probably enjoyed the beginning of the book more, since she was still interacting with a lot of characters then, and there was more suspense with her growing insanity.
Least Favorite Part:
The whole time she's committed to mental facilities, and the people she meets. Just super depressing.
Final Comments:
Final Comments:
This read is not for the faint of heart! Despite her general lack of emotion, Esther's long monologues ended up pulling out a lot of sympathy from me. Literature wise, it's definitely clear that Plath was a poet by trade: nearly every other line is a beautiful, poetic statement that explains something in a way I would've never thought to explain it. Overall, beautifully written, very provoking, but somewhat lacking in plot sophistication, since everyone kinda knows where this book is going.
Rating: 3.5/5
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