Review (PDF)

The Bell Jar (Modern Classics)

The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under -- maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic.This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Series: Modern Classics

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics; 1 edition (August 2, 2005)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0060837020

ISBN-13: 978-0060837020

Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 8 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,231 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #3 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Regional & Cultural > United States #4 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature #6 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Biographical

Like millions of other young women, I'm sure, I came across "The Bell Jar" in college, and I felt an immediate attachment to the book: it uplifted me, angered me, scared me, and made me feel deeply protective, all at the same time."The Bell Jar" tells the story of Esther Greenwood, an intelligent college student, as she slowly feels the "bell jar" of detachment and madness overtake her. As Esther goes from a prestigious internship in New York City to a summer at home with her mother in the Boston suburbs, her attachment to reality becomes more and more tenuous, until thoughts of suicide overtake her.It is no secret that the story has at least a partial basis in reality, and that Sylvia Plath is writing from her own experience is perhaps what makes Esther so deeply real. I recently wrote a review of "Bridget Jones' Diary," and although "The Bell Jar" is undoubtedly a better book, there is a certain similarity between the protagonists: like Bridget, Esther is a character who is almost universally relatable. It does not matter if the reader is psychologically healthy or not: Esther awakens what she is feeling in all of us. My emotional response to "The Bell Jar" was on par with my emotional response to certain real-life events. I was uplifted to find a shared experience; angered at Esther's responses--and at the fact that they seemed reasonable to me; scared at the uncertainty I felt about myself and my own psychological state by the end of the book; and deeply protective--of Esther, of Sylvia Plath, and of every other reader who shared my experience.I recognize that specifically speaking of the female experience when reading "The Bell Jar" could be considered rather narrow-minded of me.

Mason Jar Meals: Quick, Easy & Healthy Mason Jar Meal Recipes For Busy People: Cooking For One with Meals In A Jar (mason jar, mason jar recipes, mason ... jar recipes, jar meals, mason jar salads) MASON JAR MEALS: 50 Best Mason Jar Recipes Easy and Delicious Meals in Jar (Mason Jars, Mason Jar Salads) The Bell Jar (Modern Classics) MASON JAR RECIPES BOOK SET 5 book in 1: Meals in Jars (vol.1); Salads in Jars (Vol. 2); Desserts in Jars (Vol. 3); Breakfasts in Jars (Vol. 4); Gifts in Jars (Vol. 5): Easy Mason Jar Recipe Cookbooks Pots and Jars Box Set (5 in 1): Great Mason Jar Meals and Projects, One Pot Recipes to Release Your Creative Side (Mason Jar & One Pot Recipes) Tiny Book of Mason Jar Recipes: Small Jar Recipes for Beverages, Desserts & Gifts to Share (Small Pleasures) Survival Cookbook: 20 Delicious Prepping Recipes In Mason Jar: (Prepper's Guide, Prepper's Cookbook) (Mason Jar Recipes) Wonders in a Jar Box Set (4 in 1): Mason Jar Gifts, Creative Projects, Fun and Healthy Meals to Use Your Imagination (One Pot Meals & DIY Projects) Modern Classics Journeys End (Modern Classics (Penguin)) Modern Classics Selected Poetry (Penguin Modern Classics) The Giant Jellybean Jar (Penguin Young Readers, Level 3) Fresh Food in a Jar: Pickling, Freezing, Drying, and Canning Made Easy The Mason Jar Cocktail Companion Meals in Jars Cookbook: Healthy, Quick and Easy Mason Jar Recipes The Meals in a Jar Handbook: Gourmet Food Storage Made Easy Cookbook for Busy People Box Set (2 in 1): Over 70 Freezer and Mason Jar Meal Recipes for People On-the-Go - Mouthwatering Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Salads (Quick and Easy Recipes Cookbook) Gifts In Jars: 88 Easy To Make DIY Gifts In Jars (Gifts in Mason Jars - Jar Gifts - Recipes - DIY Projects) Mason Jar Nation: The Jars that Changed America and 50 Clever Ways to Use Them Today Mason Jar Christmas Gift Recipes: Holiday Gifts That Are Interesting, Fun, and Tasty (The Home Life Series Book 19) DIY Gifts: 50 Cute And Easy DIY Gifts In A Jar That Everybody Actually Wants: (DIY Projects, diy household hacks,diy Speed Cleaning, tiny home living, ... everyday life, diy Speed Cleaning, gifts))