The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

“The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence.”

                                                                                                                ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

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Synopsis

Working in New York one hot summer, Esther Greenwood is on the brink of her future. Yet she is also on the edge of a darkness that makes her world increasingly unreal. In this vivid and unforgettable novel about the struggles of growing up, Esther's world shines through: the wide-eyed country girls, her crazed men-friends, hot dinner dances and nights in New York, and a slow slide into breakdown.

Review

Rating: ★★★★★

The Bell Jar is a depressing book. The book's prose is dark and melancholic, but in such a beautiful way. Sylvia Plath had an impressive writing style, in which she would say the most depressing thing you can imagine, but in such a poetic way that makes you want to read more. 

The main character in the book, Esther, deals with her mental health issues through the book, but she is relatable. The character shows different sides and layers to depression and loneliness that sometimes you relate to her, which might not be a good thing, but by reading Esther's story I understood her loneliness and her introversion at the beginning of the book.

This is a semi-autobiographic book, in which Plath narrates certain aspects of her life, such as her experience interning at Mademoiselle magazine, her subsequent mental breakdown and her attempt to end her own life. And by that, the book feels personal, and it makes me want to read Sylvia’s journals. 

After reading this book, and all of Sylvia’s poems, she’s definitely one of my favorite authors.