WARNING: SPOILERS!!!
5/5 Stars
“Wherever I sat – on the deck of a ship or at a street café in Paris – I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar.”
I feel like I owe Plath an apology. I’ve had this book collecting dust on my shelf for so long because of my own stupid prejudice. I got the book as a Christmas present a few years back and didn’t really know much about it, but the more I saw people talk about it the more I was put off from reading it. The only mention of this book I ever saw was middle class white girls claiming it to be their favourite book and that it just ‘so totally’ spoke to them. I didn’t need to read another book like that, I’d read enough of them (being a middle class white girl myself). So I just rolled my eyes and threw the book on an unread pile of books I had stacking up. The only reason I even considered picking up this book from the dusty pile was because I was going on a coach for four hours and needed something small-ish to read as nothing else would fit in my bag. So, after reading I have to say to Plath: I am so sorry. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read and truly did not deserve my original prejudice.
Firstly, I’m not really going to discuss the plot in great detail as I’m presuming if you’re reading this, due the SPOILER in massive letters at the beginning, that you have read this book. I would just like to say if you have read Bell Jar please do not tell someone who hasn’t what the book is about because I went in blind and, my god, I’m so glad I did. I had absolutely NO IDEA what this book was going to be about when I first started reading and was so taken aback by the direction it took. Admittedly, from the first few pages I thought I was going to hate it and very nearly gave up after the first chapter. From the first few pages I thought it was going to be like the female version of Catcher in the Rye, a book which I absolutely LOATHE and would never want to put myself through the agony of reading again. But thank god this only lasted the first few pages and I very quickly started to enjoy it. Which is why I would say if you don’t enjoy the first few chapters just keep going because the book gets so much better. As I literally had no idea what the book was about I was extremely shocked when it suddenly went down the route of mental illness and how Esther was spiralling, getting trapped in her own thoughts. This is what I most enjoyed about this book, how the writing really made you feel as though you were in Esther’s head, being able to both sympathise and relate to her.
The Bell Jar really is a book ahead of its time and touches on issues that are prominent in todays society. It touches on female: sex, sexuality, mental illness and suicide. At the time when this book was released these issues were practically taboo, in fact the have only really been gaining the attention they deserves in the last few years. This book is actually semi-autobiographical which gives the story a whole other level of meaning and emotion. Esther/Plath’s story allows the reader, especially the female reader, to feel less alone and shows that there are others out there who are struggling too.
Despite this book being an incredible read, I am actually glad that I did not read this when I was first given it. I feel like now I am at a time of my life where I can both appreciate and relate to it more much more than I would if I had read this when I first received it. I’m 21, just left university and am feel a bit lost in myself. So, the fact that the main protagonist of Bell Jar is my age (19/20 years old) and also feels lost in herself really touched me and allowed me to feel more of a connection to her story. For personal reasons I feel strongly connected with Bell Jar and Esther’s story, so because of this and the specific time in my life when I read it, it will always hold a special place in my heart. I have been having problems since I read it, wondering if I had not read it now whether I would like the book as much. However, I have pushed those doubts aside and decided that Bell Jar would be an enjoyable read at any age (+19) whether you personally relate to the story or not. The only thing I would suggest is not reading this before you are 18/19 years old, otherwise the story will just be lost on you and you will not fully appreciate it.
So, there you go. Another middle class white girl telling you how amazing Bell Jar is and how it ‘so totally‘ spoke to me. But why should you listen to me? Because honestly you’ll regret it if you don’t. This book doesn’t deserve to sit at the bottom of a dusty book pile and doesn’t deserve the pre-judgment. It truly deserves to be read and treasured. It was a book before its time and fantastically touches on female sexuality and depression, things that to this day are still not discussed enough. If I were to relate this to a modern book I’d say it’s very similar to The Perks of Being a Wallflower (which also holds a very special place in my heart). The Bell Jar is a beautiful modern classic and I will treasure it for as long as I live.
Bethan O'Brien 