The Bell Jar

Von Anfang an, noch vor ihrem Zusammenbruch, konnte ich mit Esther nur wenig anfangen. Sie wirkte zynisch, verächtlich, selbstherrlich und manipulativ. Ich konnte sie einfach nicht ausstehen. Als sie dann wirklich anfing, psychische Probleme zu haben (eigentlich sogar schon vorher), wollte ich als Leser das Buch lieber schließen und von ihr wegkommen, als weiterzulesen und zu sehen, wie sie das durchsteht. In The Bell Jar ist viel von Selbstmord die Rede, und es wird anschaulich beschrieben, wie es sein kann, einen Abstieg in die Depression zu erleben. Ich bewundere das Buch für das, was es ist und dafür, dass es vor so langer Zeit geschrieben war.

i wish i had known about this book when i was 16/17... i would have carried it around with me everywhere i went it's like existing inside a fragile, hurt memory... this is a gorgeous, heartbreaking book also how much y'all wanna bet sylvia plath was autistic?

This is one of those rare books that burrow into your soul. Sylvia Plath’s raw, poetic prose captures the suffocating weight of expectation and the fragility of identity with haunting precision. The fig tree analogy struck me deeply—the paralyzing fear of choosing just one path, watching possibilities wither before they can be grasped. Esther’s descent into darkness is painfully real, yet Plath’s writing makes even despair feel beautiful. This novel isn’t just a story; it’s an experience—one that lingers long after the final page.

Die Charaktere sind interessant und es ist spannend, ihre Geschichten zu verfolgen. Der Schreibstil ist toll und ich habe viele Stellen markiert, die einfach wundervoll waren. Sylvia Plath portraitiert das New York der 1950er auf eine faszinierende Weise.

Although the book deals with a lot of themes around depression and suicide and could be seen as predominantly sad, I loved Sylvia Plath's writing. The book is semi-autobiographical and therefore based on real events from her life. Her description of day to day tasks or feelings are incredibly detailed and allow the reader to imagine/feel them exactly the way they are. The depiction of a young woman struggling to find her place in society, so indecisive of what to do with her life that she ultimately decides to do nothing at all, captivated me. It's really interesting how a lot of "critical" topics like religion, homosexuality and feminism are discussed in the book. In some terms, you can definitely say that Sylvia Plath is ahead of her time. Another fascinating aspect for me was that  through her writing Sylvia Plath creates a way to make such an "unrelatable" character relatable. It's heartbreaking to see how mentally ill people were treated in the 50s, and I'm sure that Sylvia Plath would've had a much longer life if she grew up in today's society. It's a very captivating book and I can see why it is a coming of age classic.