---
product_id: 207556421
title: "The Bell Jar: A Novel (Modern Classics)"
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# Classic literary masterpiece Deep mental health insight Semi-autobiographical 1950s setting The Bell Jar: A Novel (Modern Classics)

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## Summary

> 📖 Dive into the haunting brilliance of a literary legend — don’t miss the story everyone’s still talking about!

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- **What is this?** The Bell Jar: A Novel (Modern Classics)
- **How much does it cost?** 2.62 OMR with free shipping
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## Key Features

- • **Unique Narrative Style:** Surreal, fragmented storytelling that challenges and captivates.
- • **Timeless Modern Classic:** Sylvia Plath’s iconic novel that shaped literary fiction.
- • **Raw Mental Health Portrayal:** Unflinchingly explores depression and emotional complexity.
- • **Cult Status Among Millennials:** A must-read for those craving authentic, thought-provoking literature.
- • **Feminine Perspective on Society:** Sophisticated insight into women’s struggles and relationships.

## Overview

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is a semi-autobiographical novel that offers a raw, poetic, and deeply personal exploration of a young woman’s descent into mental illness during the 1950s. Celebrated as a modern classic, it combines a unique narrative style with profound insights into gender, society, and psychological struggle, making it an essential read for discerning literary enthusiasts.

## Description

Buy The Bell Jar: A Novel (Modern Classics) by Plath, Sylvia from desertcart's Fiction Books Store. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction.

Review: A feminine portrayal of darkness - I find The Bell Jar an intriguing book that covers the areas of relationships/mental health realistically. This book is based on the author's experiences. It is an adult book and describes (but does not analyse unsurprisingly) many aspects of relationships from the perspective of Esther Greenwood (the main character). The story starts off quite slowly in a feintly amusing sort of way and some might find this uninteresting. Gradually a picture emerges of an unhappy young woman who has contact with men but is unfulfilled emotionally by them. The portrayal of a woman's attitude and thought process provides an insight into the way certain kinds of sophisticated women might think. The book has a natural flow to it and unlike some fictional books there is nothing here that seems unlikely or out of place. Esther's difficulty is her partial dislike for her intended, severe dislikes of some males and a lack of interest from males she does like. As you progress more and more through the book you begin to see more of Sylvia's beautiful and imaginative writing. One example that comes to mind is when her man (Buddy Willard) describes his mother saying `- a man is an arrow into the future and the woman where the arrow shoots from'. There are many dark elements to this novel: the sinister descriptions of medical laboratories, mental institutions and the negativity and depression contained within. What makes it surreal is the background of parties, student life and past recollections. This must have been a rather difficult book to write as unlike many books it doesn't have multiple stories or characters that interact or exciting events throughout. The fact that the book is over 200 pages also makes it long for a story about one person's depressive illness. So whereas some books draw you in to a story because The Bell Jar is not like this there is a tendency to become a little disinterested until the next gem of imaginative brilliance. The Bell Jar is a story of two halves. The first half describes the cause of Esther's illness and the second describes the effect of it, although the reader comes to realise that Esther is already ill in the first section. In the book a man who hates women attacks Esther. The analogy of a snake in a glass cage (the woman hater) is memorable description of which there are a number sprinkled throughout the novel. With these kinds of experiences Esther's character becomes cold. A magical element of this book is the way her other friends find things so easy; they are all contented. Sylvia might have focussed on the inevitable friction this would cause but elects not to. From chapter 10 onwards the second part of the novel describes the consequences of the earlier events. Some may find this the most interesting part of the book. With chilling accuracy Sylvia describes the form of Esther's breakdown. Its all there: the aspects the sufferer clings to that don't make any difference, the futile attempts to change things, rejection from a writing course, ending her relationship with Buddy etc. Sylvia vividly shows how Esther's high ability works against her, how she starts things but gives them up and how she stays in bed for days unable to sleep. The author has quite an unusual writing style that I find disorienting, only later on in the story am I able to perhaps understand things. She sometimes describes subsequent events in the story before the other events. Whether this is a surreal element of the writing or simply annoying will depend on the reader. The book is harrowing in its descriptions of self-harm as the terrible state Esther is in becomes clearer and clearer. This novel is for purists and adults. It is sometimes hard going but rewarding in the way it complexly evolves. Perhaps the method/style/form of writing is in itself a portrayal of the malaise of mental health problems. It certainly makes the book different to other classic works. Overall I am confused by The Bell Jar and am at a loss to determine its worth. For: Flashes of genius Realistic depiction of slide into mental illness Interesting perspective on human relationships Against: Realism that makes it occasionally difficult to maintain interest
Review: Disturbing but at times beautiful - I had put off reading The Bell Jar for many years because I always assumed it would be melancholy and hard going. Instead, it was quick and easy to read but very difficult to review, perhaps because my impressions were coloured by the knowledge that it was semi-autobiographical. As a work of fiction, I'm not sure that I'd recommend it, although it's well written and some of the imagery is every bit as poetic as you'd expect it to be. As a novel based on Sylvia Plath's own experiences, however, it's a brilliant portrayal of a young woman for whom nothing and nobody has any real value or meaning. It's a fragmented story, told from the viewpoint of Esther Greenwood as she embarks on a month's work in New York after winning a contest for her writing. From the start it is clear that Esther is something of a misfit who relates to neither her fellow students nor to any of the men she meets, and her narrative flits here and there as she lurches from one subject to another. At the end of the month she returns home disillusioned by the futility of everything she has seen and experienced. From hereon she slides further into mental illness, whose treatment during the fifties and early sixties was as disturbing as the lack of understanding shown to sufferers. Mercifully, I have never suffered from depression so in some ways found it hard to relate to Esther. On the other hand I have worked with clients who have attempted suicide so was able to sympathise with her and wish I could do something to help her. At the same time a part of me felt like telling her to pull herself together and do something useful - the sort of reaction I'd have expected from my mother but not one I'd ever have imagined applied to me. The significance of the title eluded me until it was revealed late in the story. Indeed, I couldn't see how it could ever be relevant, but it offers the perfect image of what the writer herself must have experienced. Despite the gloomy subject matter, the book is not depressing and even contains occasional hints of humour and amusement. I have to admit that there were times when I disliked it and considered it worth only two or three stars, but to dismiss it that lightly would be unfair. For me, the book improved as it went on, until the final chapter which contained some of the most poetic prose I have read for a long time. Some of the reviews suggest that if you've suffered from depression this book will be a comfort, knowing that others have felt the same and have survived. If you haven't suffered in this way, you should still read it - and don't give up if you don't like it. It doesn't take long to read and it really is worth persevering to the end. I wouldn't place it among the great classics of all time, but by the time I reached the end it felt like a book that everyone should experience if only to provide insight into the suffering of others.

## Features

- Great Product
- Harper Perennial Modern Classics
- The Bell Jar

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 454,178 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 21 in Fiction Classics (Books) 138 in Literary Fiction (Books) 261 in Contemporary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 36,403 Reviews |

## Images

![The Bell Jar: A Novel (Modern Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81wUVpREPSL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A feminine portrayal of darkness
*by V***R on 7 October 2011*

I find The Bell Jar an intriguing book that covers the areas of relationships/mental health realistically. This book is based on the author's experiences. It is an adult book and describes (but does not analyse unsurprisingly) many aspects of relationships from the perspective of Esther Greenwood (the main character). The story starts off quite slowly in a feintly amusing sort of way and some might find this uninteresting. Gradually a picture emerges of an unhappy young woman who has contact with men but is unfulfilled emotionally by them. The portrayal of a woman's attitude and thought process provides an insight into the way certain kinds of sophisticated women might think. The book has a natural flow to it and unlike some fictional books there is nothing here that seems unlikely or out of place. Esther's difficulty is her partial dislike for her intended, severe dislikes of some males and a lack of interest from males she does like. As you progress more and more through the book you begin to see more of Sylvia's beautiful and imaginative writing. One example that comes to mind is when her man (Buddy Willard) describes his mother saying `- a man is an arrow into the future and the woman where the arrow shoots from'. There are many dark elements to this novel: the sinister descriptions of medical laboratories, mental institutions and the negativity and depression contained within. What makes it surreal is the background of parties, student life and past recollections. This must have been a rather difficult book to write as unlike many books it doesn't have multiple stories or characters that interact or exciting events throughout. The fact that the book is over 200 pages also makes it long for a story about one person's depressive illness. So whereas some books draw you in to a story because The Bell Jar is not like this there is a tendency to become a little disinterested until the next gem of imaginative brilliance. The Bell Jar is a story of two halves. The first half describes the cause of Esther's illness and the second describes the effect of it, although the reader comes to realise that Esther is already ill in the first section. In the book a man who hates women attacks Esther. The analogy of a snake in a glass cage (the woman hater) is memorable description of which there are a number sprinkled throughout the novel. With these kinds of experiences Esther's character becomes cold. A magical element of this book is the way her other friends find things so easy; they are all contented. Sylvia might have focussed on the inevitable friction this would cause but elects not to. From chapter 10 onwards the second part of the novel describes the consequences of the earlier events. Some may find this the most interesting part of the book. With chilling accuracy Sylvia describes the form of Esther's breakdown. Its all there: the aspects the sufferer clings to that don't make any difference, the futile attempts to change things, rejection from a writing course, ending her relationship with Buddy etc. Sylvia vividly shows how Esther's high ability works against her, how she starts things but gives them up and how she stays in bed for days unable to sleep. The author has quite an unusual writing style that I find disorienting, only later on in the story am I able to perhaps understand things. She sometimes describes subsequent events in the story before the other events. Whether this is a surreal element of the writing or simply annoying will depend on the reader. The book is harrowing in its descriptions of self-harm as the terrible state Esther is in becomes clearer and clearer. This novel is for purists and adults. It is sometimes hard going but rewarding in the way it complexly evolves. Perhaps the method/style/form of writing is in itself a portrayal of the malaise of mental health problems. It certainly makes the book different to other classic works. Overall I am confused by The Bell Jar and am at a loss to determine its worth. For: Flashes of genius Realistic depiction of slide into mental illness Interesting perspective on human relationships Against: Realism that makes it occasionally difficult to maintain interest

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Disturbing but at times beautiful
*by S***E on 13 September 2009*

I had put off reading The Bell Jar for many years because I always assumed it would be melancholy and hard going. Instead, it was quick and easy to read but very difficult to review, perhaps because my impressions were coloured by the knowledge that it was semi-autobiographical. As a work of fiction, I'm not sure that I'd recommend it, although it's well written and some of the imagery is every bit as poetic as you'd expect it to be. As a novel based on Sylvia Plath's own experiences, however, it's a brilliant portrayal of a young woman for whom nothing and nobody has any real value or meaning. It's a fragmented story, told from the viewpoint of Esther Greenwood as she embarks on a month's work in New York after winning a contest for her writing. From the start it is clear that Esther is something of a misfit who relates to neither her fellow students nor to any of the men she meets, and her narrative flits here and there as she lurches from one subject to another. At the end of the month she returns home disillusioned by the futility of everything she has seen and experienced. From hereon she slides further into mental illness, whose treatment during the fifties and early sixties was as disturbing as the lack of understanding shown to sufferers. Mercifully, I have never suffered from depression so in some ways found it hard to relate to Esther. On the other hand I have worked with clients who have attempted suicide so was able to sympathise with her and wish I could do something to help her. At the same time a part of me felt like telling her to pull herself together and do something useful - the sort of reaction I'd have expected from my mother but not one I'd ever have imagined applied to me. The significance of the title eluded me until it was revealed late in the story. Indeed, I couldn't see how it could ever be relevant, but it offers the perfect image of what the writer herself must have experienced. Despite the gloomy subject matter, the book is not depressing and even contains occasional hints of humour and amusement. I have to admit that there were times when I disliked it and considered it worth only two or three stars, but to dismiss it that lightly would be unfair. For me, the book improved as it went on, until the final chapter which contained some of the most poetic prose I have read for a long time. Some of the reviews suggest that if you've suffered from depression this book will be a comfort, knowing that others have felt the same and have survived. If you haven't suffered in this way, you should still read it - and don't give up if you don't like it. It doesn't take long to read and it really is worth persevering to the end. I wouldn't place it among the great classics of all time, but by the time I reached the end it felt like a book that everyone should experience if only to provide insight into the suffering of others.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Incredible Journey
*by J***N on 7 May 2012*

When I ordered The Bell Jar it felt like I was paying to be tortured. It has a reputation of being a depressing book, but one well written, so in my quest for a good book, the order was made. When I began reading The Bell Jar my initial thought, was 'this isn't as depressing as I thought' as even though the protagonist is depressed, she's in New York doing something that she was pleased to be doing. But as I read on, the life of this young woman seemed to implode. Her own beliefs and upbringing brought her into a situation that she couldn't cope with, and the way she kept others at a distance meant that she had nowhere to go for help. She fantasises and becomes excessively unsociable. The world becomes too tortuous for her. The protagonist is electro shocked in a state asylum which Plath writes so well that it leaves even you feeling violated, and fearful of a repeat. Fortunately a benefactor gets her into a better hospital where the world is quite different. Here we see the protagonist make judgements on others in the same or similar situations and we see a world that those who never enter into an hospital for depression never see. We also see her judge and excuse herself. The entire book is like a window into the mind of a depressed young woman who should have the world at her feet, but instead finds herself trapped within a bell jar of her own design. Of course the book is written based on Plaths own experience in an asylum, originally writing the book under a pseudonym she felt that the work drew so much on her life that she needed to protect certain characters and family. But this is what makes the book so enthralling and real life. As a poet she has a command over the English language that makes this work so thought provoking, so vivid, that it's thoroughly engrossing. Is it depressing? Yes, OK it is. But it's a wonderful piece of literature and expression of psychology that it's well worth the emotional upheaval.

## Frequently Bought Together

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*Last updated: 2026-01-30*