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Sara Raquel's Reviews > The Bell Jar
The Bell Jar
by
by
2.5/5
The american classic "The bell jar" follows Esther, a young woman struggling to fit into society in the 50s and the effects that that pressure has on her mental health.
I find this book very delicate to review. Since it's very known and is somehow controversial. It's also semi autobiographical, which also makes this book even more sensitive to criticism. Realizing that Sylvia Plath wrote about Esther as her alter ego, helps us understand what she endured and overall what it's like to have depression.
The book shows us the issues of mental health institutions of that time and the conflicting methods that were used to cure patients.
I think it's important to point out that it's a book with very heavy and dark themes. It's essential to look up trigger warnings. I don't think that someone who is feeling depressed should be reading it because I personally thought it can trigger suicidal thoughts. I thought that suicide was romanticized, glorified.
I also had a hard time relating, empathizing or connecting with Esther. I didn't like her character and was kinda annoyed at some of her comments or thoughts towards other people. I did not appreciate the racist comments that were recurring throughout the book. I don't think the time this was written can be used as an excuse since it was published in the 60s, during the civil rights movement.
The author being a poet, I was expecting to absolutely love the writing style. But I didn't. I thought it was fragmented and boring with the exceptions of a few passages that I enjoyed and found interesting.
I do think that it's important to bring awareness to these types of themes and issues. I can see why this book is seen as a must and most people appreciate it. However, for me it was not the best book to read in that topic. I have read far better ones, such as Eleanor Oliphant, The perks of being a wallflower etc. I also kept thinking that when Plath wrote this, she wasn't in her best state of mind, since she committed suicide shortly after finishing writing this novel, when her two babies were sleeping nearby, which is something I have a hard time accepting.
The american classic "The bell jar" follows Esther, a young woman struggling to fit into society in the 50s and the effects that that pressure has on her mental health.
I find this book very delicate to review. Since it's very known and is somehow controversial. It's also semi autobiographical, which also makes this book even more sensitive to criticism. Realizing that Sylvia Plath wrote about Esther as her alter ego, helps us understand what she endured and overall what it's like to have depression.
The book shows us the issues of mental health institutions of that time and the conflicting methods that were used to cure patients.
I think it's important to point out that it's a book with very heavy and dark themes. It's essential to look up trigger warnings. I don't think that someone who is feeling depressed should be reading it because I personally thought it can trigger suicidal thoughts. I thought that suicide was romanticized, glorified.
I also had a hard time relating, empathizing or connecting with Esther. I didn't like her character and was kinda annoyed at some of her comments or thoughts towards other people. I did not appreciate the racist comments that were recurring throughout the book. I don't think the time this was written can be used as an excuse since it was published in the 60s, during the civil rights movement.
The author being a poet, I was expecting to absolutely love the writing style. But I didn't. I thought it was fragmented and boring with the exceptions of a few passages that I enjoyed and found interesting.
I do think that it's important to bring awareness to these types of themes and issues. I can see why this book is seen as a must and most people appreciate it. However, for me it was not the best book to read in that topic. I have read far better ones, such as Eleanor Oliphant, The perks of being a wallflower etc. I also kept thinking that when Plath wrote this, she wasn't in her best state of mind, since she committed suicide shortly after finishing writing this novel, when her two babies were sleeping nearby, which is something I have a hard time accepting.
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