A review by withlivjones
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

dark reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I get the hype with this book, it’s a very powerful and well-written read and the quintessential sad girl novel. Plath’s writing voice was truly ahead of its time in the way the she is able to so clearly describe the experience of being on the brink of leaving education and not knowing what to do with one’s life. As a fairly recent graduate with no life plans, I related to Esther a lot. 

There were definitely some parts of the book that dragged a little; just from hearing about the plot I wasn’t expecting Esther’s trip to New York to end so early into the book. Furthermore, there is So Much casual racism just thrown in, and I get that the book was written decades ago but it was still unnecessary and disruptive to the reading experience. 
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