Audiobook Review – The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Classic/Historical Fiction
Length: 7 hours and 24 minutes
Publisher: HarperAudio
Release Date: February 02, 2016
ASIN: B01A9ATQIM
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed Audiobook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“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.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed a copy of this on audiobook from the library.
Thoughts: I thought this book did an excellent job of both portraying an intelligent woman’s struggles in the 1950’s and her mental breakdown and recovery. While I didn’t really enjoy this per say, I do respect how well written this is and stayed engaged in the story. I listened to this on audiobook and I thought the narrator did an amazing job.
This story follows Esther, an incredibly brilliant young woman who gets an opportunity to go to New York and write for a fashion magazine. She wants to be a poet or editor after she finishes college and this internship in New York is perfect. This story is supposed to parallel Plath’s own life and struggles.
This is a tough read. Esther has so much going for her, but she is also smart enough to recognize the poor decisions and pandering that happen around her. She is both intrigued and disillusioned by the fast-paced New York scene. Watching the way she was treated by a lot of the men around her was painful. Then watching as a relatively small set back (not making it into a literary college class) set her into a depressive (and finally suicidal) spiral was tough. Plath portrays this all in a way that is realistic and easy to relate to. Esther seems fairly reasonable throughout her mental collapse and does her best to seek help and support. She is lucky enough to get supportive assistance and is determined enough to pull through onto the path of recovery.
I think what frustrated me most is that, although things have gotten better for both women in general and people suffering from mental illness, we still have a long way to go as a society. Esther has so many people tell her to “just hurry up and get better”, like she has a choice. For a long time the support and assistance just isn’t there for her. The character of Esther was lucky enough to get involved with a hospital and group that was cutting edge for the time and supported her recovery. A big part of her recovery is figuring out what makes Esther feel so out of control and sad.
The afterward goes into Plath’s life and her struggles. Plath struggled and unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like she got the same support that Esther did. So, while this was a book I think should be read, it wasn’t really an uplifting or happy read.
My Summary (4/5): Overall, while this isn’t something I will reread, it was masterfully written and I am glad that I read it. This touches on so many societal issues that are still problems today. In addition it makes this type of depressive spiral relatable and understandable for those who haven’t gone through this sort of thing. This is beautifully written and does end on a hopeful note. Although in general it left me feeling pretty down when I thought about how much further we have to go as a society.
