The Bell Jar is a classic that I had put off reading for years, mainly because I didn’t think I was ready for the material. Now that I’ve read it, I’m glad that I did, but it was quite an exhausting read.
I’ve been a fan of Plath’s poetry ever since studying her in college. Plath is one of those authors with whom I’ve taken a slightly morbid fascination; she struggled with depression her entire life and ultimately committed suicide at the age of 30. (I’m 30 now, which makes that doubly sad to me.) Plath’s son, Nicholas, also suffered from depression and committed suicide. Not only this, but I was stunned to learn that Assia Wevill, the woman for whom Ted Hughes left Plath, committed suicide after killing her daughter. There’s just so much tragedy and sorrow surrounding this group of people. It breaks my heart.
Having said all that–sometimes I feel that Plath’s talent has been overshadowed by her suicide, but the fact is that she was a truly great writer.
It took me almost a month to read The Bell Jar. The first half or so of the book is comical at times; the main character, Esther, is a girl I liked almost immediately. When Esther’s mental health begins to decline, the book becomes very heavy and difficult to read. I found myself reading a chapter or so at a time and then finding it necessary to put it down until the next day.
I enjoyed Plath’s writing style and take issue with people who have compared The Bell Jar to The Catcher in the Rye, a book that I absolutely hated. Whereas Holden Caulfield came across to me as a brat, quite frankly, I found myself relating to Esther and her struggles with depression. Having read both books now, I’m really sort of enraged that people compare the two books; I know some love Catcher, but I feel that The Bell Jar is far superior, both in the quality of writing as well as the voice of its protagonist.
I do recommend The Bell Jar, but I really feel like it deserves a caution prior to anyone reading it. I don’t know if I could have read and finished it several years ago, when I was in the thick of a depression myself; I just don’t think I could have handled it. Although the book is technically fiction, so much of its contents are based on Plath’s life–and Plath herself–that I feel her story is one that deserves to be told and experienced.
I also really identified with her for the first part of the book. The second half of the book is definitely a dark read. I have never suffered from clinical depression so I found it very interesting because I thought she conveyed the feeling very well. I could feel what it might be like to truly suffer from depression. I have had bad times, but never to that extent, and I think this book is a good example of why most people don’t know what they are talking about when they say they are depressed. I would like to hand it to people, like Scientologists, who think that it is a personal failing that does not need medical intervention.
I chose this for book club, and my husband had a hard time with it. He used to suffer from clinical depression and is doing well now, but this book kind of put him down in the dumps for a few days, and I was sad to put him through that. He did vouch for the authenticity of it. Some people in my book club couldn’t empathize with her choices, but I think the choices she made were largely due to how she felt constantly seeing things through “the bell jar.” It is hard to act logically when your brain is working against you.
Well said. I’ve never been on anti-depressants (or had shock therapy, for that matter!–I couldn’t believe anyone ever thought that was a good idea), but I used to see a therapist on a regular basis for what was diagnosed as an “adjustment disorder.” I don’t get depressed anymore the way I used to when I was in New Mexico (often by myself, with no family/friends/real support system of any kind). But I could definitely relate to some of the internal things Plath described. It’s such a shame…she was a really good writer.