The Bell Jar : A Novel

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Summary: Plath gives a true look into the brain of a neurotic.
Review: The Bell Jar gives identity to all of us who suffer from depression. Plath took apart the details of the life that hides behind a depressed soul, not giving definition to, but relating to those who suffer the same. One knows a truly well written book by how involved one gets into the lives of its characters. The time that I spent reading this book brought me to look at my own life. As a result, I lapsed into one of my depressive spells, but this was no ordinary "hate life" spell. I recognized so much that I shared with Esther. I asked my psychology teacher, who recommended the book to me, if most of his students come back to him and tell him that the book affected them in the same way it affected me. When a book forces you to look at your life and you find yourself completely absorbed into every fiber of its content, it truly is a treasure.

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Summary: Best potrayal of depression and women in fiction
Review: Sylvia Plath has a uniquely brilliant voice. Her disciplined, careful, quiet and emotional language makes The Bell Jar a masterpiece. It is both disturbing and understated; remarkably so when one considers the subject matter and the fact the this story is autobiographical in nature. Esther is a young woman blessed with talent and intelligence, and the means to exercize them. We gather that her life has been basically happy and satisfing. But privilged young women, perhaps especially privilged young women, are not immune to mental illness. We follow Esther through her increasingly distorted perceptions, which are vivid and accurate descriptions of a depressive's world. The treatments are almost as bad as her illness. But by the end of the novel, Esther is on the mend. Things are looking up; the dark journey Plath takes us on ends with a vision of light. This is made especially tragic as Plath herself committed suicide. Esther got through it, but Sylvia didn't. Anyone who has been lucky enough to never experience a major depressive episode will find a new perspective about mental illness in this book.

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Summary: If only the psychiatrists understood this well . . .
Review: Over the past few months I have spent hours in the library with psychology books and journals, trying to understand the depression I am experiencing. It wasn't until I checked out a copy of The Bell Jar that I began to feel less lonely. All the technical information I found in the journals was nothing compared to Plath's portrait of depression. She does not give lists of the symptoms of depression; instead, I felt clear recognition of the feelings Esther was experiencing. I recommend this book to anyone experiencing depression who needs to feel that they are not alone.

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Summary: An account of one girl's experiences with severe depression.
Review: The Bell Jar is even more powerful because it is an autobiographical piece. I would recommend it to anyone who has doubted the humanity of mental illness, to anyone who needs to open their eyes to the terrifying, ever-present pain of depression. The Bell Jar is not only a well written novel, but extremely good therapy.

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Summary: Interesting
Review: I found the book a bit confusing as the scenes were so abrupt and short...giving the feeling of being "disjointed" from the book at every opportunity.

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Summary: if a book were a child..
Review: ...i feel this way about this book....i've read this book many times...it was the first...and the last of all books that I have identified completely with...read her poetry...it's just as wonderful....i still refer back to the Bell Jar like a dictionary..quoting it...etc. etc.

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Summary: The book I've re-read constantly...
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read.

I do not know how many times I have read this book, but I suspect it is over 20. I would recommend The Bell Jar to anyone who has ever questioned their inner feelings, or who has ever felt as though they were different from others.

This book continues to strike a chord with me.

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Summary: Sylvia Plath's Ingenious Autobiography
Review: This tale of Sylvia Plath's life is extraordinary and phenomenal. You feel as if you are going through Esther's life, discoveries and experiences. It is incredible how Plath depicts Esther's every move with such detail as she struggles with life inside "The Bell Jar."

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Summary: Too much to handle.
Review: I could never find words beautiful enough to describe this book. It changed my life. I own over 20 copies of it, different editions and forms. Anyone who likes Plath or this book should take the time to read her poetry as well. "Ariel" is a good book of poetry to start with.

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Summary: "The Bell Jar"- a memoir of madness
Review: "The Bell Jar" is definatly one of the most impressive books I have ever read. Sylvia Plath talks about how she gets depressed and eventually tries to kill herself. This book is bound to leave it's mark on you, and it is definatly recommended for anybody who liked "Girl, Interrupted" by Susan Kaufman; "I Never Promised you a Rose Garden" by Joanna Martin(?), "Lisa, Bright and Dark", and Sylvia Plath fans. The story starts in New York City, where we meet Esther (Sylvia Plath). Esther has been chosen by a magazine to work for a month at the magazine to learn about writing. Esther has "adventures" in New York, and after her month with the magazine is up, she returns home. There she learns that she has been rejected by a university for a writing course that she wanted to take, and she doesn't know what to do with herself. It is here that she realizes that there is something wrong with her, and many other events unfurl, such as her visits to a psychiatrist that performs shock-treatment on her incorrectly, until finally she overdoses on sleeping pills. After this she ends up in a mental institution, and she finally "gets better". Towards the end of the book, she says that she hopes that the bell-jar of despair does not fall over her again. The sad thing is, that it did fall over her and that is how she died. This book is incredible, and there is nothing bad to say about it. Sylvia Plath is a great writer, especially because she speaks from experience. I highly recommend this book to anybody who is considering buying it.