The Bell Jar Book Review

Book Title: The Bell Jar

Author: Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar is a powerful, raw, and emotional story about one college girl’s breakdown. Written in a dark but witty voice, the story revolves around Esther Greenwood, an aspiring but talented author who is interning at a fashion magazine. The book follows Esther as she spirals down into depression despite what is perceived as a successful life.

Prior to reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, I had heard that the book was an American classic about a college girl going crazy. This book is honestly so much more than that. The first chapter had me hooked with its poetic and electric prose, contrasting against my preconceived notions of a dusty and sluggish classic.

The sentiments of the main character are startlingly contemporary; being disappointed for not getting into a certain academic program, worrying about her scholarship, complaining about physics, going out with boys. The issues faced by Esther are also unfortunately common today; the tacit understanding that women are expected to have children, the choice between family and career, the feeling of being inadequate, the stigma around mental health, the struggles of being depressed.

Plath so vividly captures the sense of slowly descending into depression with her acute grasp of language and her own experience. You are trapped in the bell jar along with Esther, as she becomes increasingly isolated from the world and time slows around her. Through her multiple suicide attempts, Esther becomes painfully aware of her existence in the present. Even as she recovers, the bell jar hovers above her, threatening to sour the air.

Though the fact that the author herself took her life gives the book a certain heaviness, the book holds on to hope. This work that delves into the mind of a young woman struggling with her demons serves as a reminder that at times when you are dragged into the darkest recesses of your mind, you must hold onto the present. The future may be filled with question marks, but as long as you are here, the future still awaits. All things considered, I highly recommend this book to everyone as work that explores deeply relevant issues of our generation.

Reviewed by: Sakura Hayakawa ‘21