BBYD: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Books Before You Die: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
We continue with our regular feature within which we review the books that urged to read before we shuffle off our mortal coils. As always, there are no rules or regulations, just the prerequisite of a person’s emphatic belief that a book must be read before death takes us all. This one is one of the mainstays in the books-to-read category and has struck a chord with many over the years.
The Author
Plath was born in Boston in 1932. She began writing poetry as a child and wrote stories in her mid-teens. Originally published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas" in 1963, the novel is semi-autobiographical, with the names of places and people changed. The book is often regarded as a roman à clef since the protagonist's descent into mental illness parallels Plath's own experiences with what may have been clinical depression. Plath died by suicide a month after its first UK publication.
The book
When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther's life begins to slide out of control. She finds herself spiralling into serious depression as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take her aspirations seriously. Set in a world bounded by the Cold War on one side and the sexual on the other, it looks at the madness of the world. Questions are pondered about reality and how it can be confronted. A witty yet very upsetting novel.
The good bits
This novel takes you on a journey of an extraordinary mind-Ester Greenwood- and her inability to understand the world of relationships around her. As madness creeps in, you become drawn in, not fully knowing what to expect.
The bad bits
I found myself confused as to what was real or in Ester's mind. The madness seemed a bit too sane, her discovery of the disappointments of men and their sexual nature did somewhat bore me. A shame as on the whole, the story is excellently portrayed for the era.
Favorite quotes:
"It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenberg's". What a start!! Had me gripped with the very first sentence.
"Jay Cee's ugly as sin...I bet that old husband of hers turns out all the lights before he gets near her..."
“That’s one of the reasons I never wanted to get married. The last thing I wanted was infinite security and to be the place an arrow shoots off from. I wanted change and excitement and to shoot off in all directions myself, like the colored arrows from a Fourth of July rocket.”
Verdict:
Definitely a book everyone should try to read. It's an amazing insight into a disturbed mind. Books to read before you die? I'd miss it if I didn't see it on a shelf in the Books Before You Die Library!
Review by Carrie who attends our weekly Creative Writing Workshop for our Letters From Prison Project. Follow her and read her poetry and stories on Prose here where she is @Squeakypeewee01.
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm in. I've had a copy on my shelves for a while, that's it in the picture on the blog version of this article; so I shall be reading it over the Christmas break. Check this out NOW on the blog site as it has lovely visuals and links that cannot be posted in app.
http://blog.theprose.com/2016/12/bbyd-bell-jar-sylvia-plath/
B