Showing posts with label The Bell Jar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Bell Jar. Show all posts

Friday, June 3, 2011

The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar


I have a habit of picking up a book without knowing anything about it. The Bell Jar is no exception. I'm not really sure how I made it this far in life without reading Sylvia Plath, but I do know who she is. At least, I know she's a writer, a poet, and that she killed herself by sticking her head in the oven. (apparently shortly after the publication of this book)

But I digress. We're discussing The Bell Jar.

And I really enjoyed reading it. Esther, the main character, is very real, very well written.  I really felt as though I knew her. Which makes sense, because it is loosely autobiographical.  Plath suffered from terrible depression, which is very clear in the reading. I can't imagine anyone having written so well about depression unless they have experienced it themselves. Having experienced depression myself, I know how Esther and Plath feel, and I wish someone had been able to help them. Depression isn't always something you can just snap out of. It's not always something terrible; sometimes it's just the blahs. People don't always understand and then aren't able to help. Plath does a great job at illustrating that.

 I recommend this book for anyone who would like more insight into depression.

Happy Reading!