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Loading... The Bell Jar: Sylvia Plath (original 1963; edition 2005)by Sylvia Plath (Author)
Work InformationThe Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (1963)
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![]() ![]() I absolutely love the style of this novel. The inherent poet within Plath shines brightly even in her prose, and it was that poetic flavor which most endeared me to the book. The use of a conversational somewhat divergent style recalled all that I liked about the Catcher and the Rye without much of the irritation it simultaneously brought. My only qualm was that there was not enough emotional impact considering the topics addressed. Here's what I wrote after reading in 2013: "Sad story, sad lady. Glad to have read, especially since was referenced so much in History of a Suicde. Learned a lot about treatment of mental illnesses in the 1940's and 1950's (they had a lot of things wrong and it was before the Pharma companies had a drug for everything)." See somethings in common with the themes of the Handmaid's Tale (last book read) in this one, too. The talent of Sylvia Plath was going to be constrained in the narrowly defined options for women of her time . . . and she knew it. Quotations in the comments section are my exact kindle highlights. I have great respect for the way the theme of mental illness is harshly portrayed in this book, only I wish it had been a little less abrupt in its execution. Mental illness is a lifelong battle (I would know), and although I understand it wasn't always well understood (and still isn't, really), I just think Esther Greenwood a bit too spiteful in the handling of her situation. If she were a more active participant in her healing, she might have met with better results.
Esther Greenwood's account of her year in the bell jar is as clear and readable as it is witty and disturbing. It makes for a novel such as Dorothy Parker might have written if she had not belonged to a generation infected with the relentless frivolity of the college- humor magazine. The brittle humor of that early generation is reincarnated in "The Bell Jar," but raised to a more serious level because it is recognized as a resource of hysteria. Belongs to Publisher SeriesAntípoda (41) Bibliothek Suhrkamp (1221) — 7 more Harper Perennial Olive Editions (2009 Olive) Lanterne (L 307) Rainbow pocketboeken (76) A tot vent (368) Has the adaptationIs abridged inHas as a studyHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guideAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
Classic Literature.
Fiction.
Literature.
HTML: A realistic and emotional look at a woman who falls into the grips of insanity written by the iconic American writer Sylvia Plath "It is this perfectly wrought prose and the freshness of Plath's voice in The Bell Jar that make this book enduring in its appeal." ?? USA Today 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 neuroses become 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 No library descriptions found. |
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![]() GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:![]()
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