Bell Jar: A Novel: 153 (Perennial Classics) Paperback – 1 August 2005

“It was a queer sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.” The first sentence itself gives a glimpse into her thought process which hooked me to the book.The book goes through the experiences of the protagonist Esther Greenwood while she is working as an intern in a fashion magazine in New York during the summer and how she views people around her. After she completes her internship, she moves back to Boston but her life does not turn out the way she envisioned it to be. And then slowly but surely, she falls into depression and ultimately takes help.The book also deals with how the protagonist faced critique from the society as she decided to focus on her career rather than getting married and settling down. The book also gives a glimpse into New York of that time.Coming to the title, the bell jar is metaphorical to depression. The protagonist felt trapped inside a bell jar and she could see everyone around her and how they were behaving and they could see her perfectly normal externally. She wanted someone to come and save her but nonetheless no one could see what she was going through internally.The book deals with the complexities of the human mind, the protagonist trying to find her place in the world, societal expectations and taboos on women, depression and suicide. I felt the book was quite ahead of its time since it was set in the 1950’s and navigates through the mental health journey of the protagonist.I found the writing style quite intense and gripping. It was extremely difficult for me to continue reading the book as it became quite overwhelming at times. The book was moderately paced for me.I will treasure reading such an honest portrayal of the author’s life experiences making the book semi-autobiographical. However, I won’t suggest this book for beginners or anyone going through anything difficult in their life becz this book is quite disturbing and it can trigger u.

I have always loved the poems of Sylvia Plath and have read many articles to know she was going through immense depression. This book though fictional is said to be inspired deeply from her personal experiences and I guess that’s what emotionally breaks you down as a Sylvia Plath fan. The first half shows us how modern Sylvia’s thoughts are in terms of women's rights, work ethics, etc, especially we should remember this is the 1950s we are talking about and that’s one of the major reasons which prevents her from gelling with the society. We can understand her struggle to bridge the gap between her thoughts and the society wants her to be.. And the second half plunges to calling out her depression and the treatments she goes through. Although her narrative is emotionally detached, we can feel the pain she must have gone through in this whole process. 4 stars because I did not find any story here, I understood and loved it because I have closely followed her life story and read about it, otherwise I could feel a disconnect in the story flow at some parts..MUST READ for Sylvia Plath fans. DON’T READ for people who are themselves going through depression, because this book throws a negative light on depression and may tell that there is no coming back once you are diagnosed with mental illness, which is not always the case.

Beautiful CoverGood SpineQuality of print is good and Pages are kinda yellowBut that's okayy. Yellowish tint is giving vintage vibes to book.Totally worth it reading.Must buy!

Good coverGood spineNo mising pages

I'm not sure if this is an original copy. The title is a little blurred and even the text on the pages is a little slanted and the quality of pages is really bad, kind of like rough, recycled paper as you can see in the pictures.Also, I hate how they do packaging. There was no bubble wrap or even plastic wrap, the books were just thrown into a thin paper bag. Which made the corners bend.Seller was Cocoblu.

Good one!

Having read a lot of her poems in the past, it was a surprise that it took me so long to read this book. I hadn't known what it was I was getting into, I finished the book in 12 hours probably because once it began I was on a roll. There were moments where I realised why this could become my new favourite book. And it is, I have read a lot of reviews and articles about how racist some instances in the book are, they're right. It is. But it is not a book that boasts about a perfect character going through something tumultuous. It is a book about an imperfect girl who is going through her existential crisis and how the world looks to her. There are moments when you'll feel related to her, there are moments you'll be angry with her behaviour. I think it makes sense to understand that this is not a girl who should be your role model, this is a girl who has gone through something, and if you find her relatable at all, take solace in it and learn from it.