Book Review: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

“I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo.”

Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

Review:

I’ve been intrigued by this book for so long, but I wanted to wait for the right time to pick it up. While my timing was fine, the book wasn’t quite what I expected it would be. 

In this character-driven and semi-autobiographical novel, we follow Esther Greenwood’s inner monologue as she navigates life on her own in New York City. We see her thought process, her perception of those around her, her self-image, and her aspirations. Intimately, we watch her mental decline, ultimately leading to a breakdown that sends her to a psychiatric hospital. 

What drew me to this book was the emphasis on mental health struggles. Knowing that Sylvia Plath based this on her own experiences, Esther’s struggles feel raw and authentic. As a novel, I eventually grew bored. I found Esther’s personality (which I don’t believe at its core was all due to her mental health disorders) insufferable and snobbish. Not being able to relate to her beliefs and philosophies put up a barrier for me. 

Given the time the book was written, I would consider this a must-read for insight into how mental health disorders were perceived and handled at the time. It’s encouraging to read through a modern lens and see how far treatment has come in comparison. Because of this, I struggled to settle on how to rate this book as a whole. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• A fantastic insight into what it’s like to live with depression and other mental health disorders.
• It was also an interesting insight into how mental health disorders were treated in the mid-20th century.

What I didn’t like:

• Although I could find empathy for Esther, her personality grated against mine, and I struggled to relate to her.
• I don’t necessarily need a strong plot to enjoy the book, but this one was all over the place. While it sets the mood and matches the internal chaos that Esther is feeling, as a reader, it was sometimes a pain to follow.

Afterthoughts:

I’m glad I finally read this, but it was disappointing not to have enjoyed it more.

Where to buy the book: