Book No. 100 of 2020
First of all, I’m mildly furious that we were all required to read Catcher in the Rye for school, but not The Bell Jar. What the heck, school curriculums, young women can feel alienated from society too (with much more severe repercussions).
Because The Bell Jar is such an iconic literary work cloaked in Plath’s cultural mythos, it’s one of those books I was too intimidated to read for the longest time. I was shocked to discover how immediate it felt, and how relatable and accessible it is—not to mention how beautifully and poetically accurate Plath’s prose reads. I felt a strong kinship with her protagonist (cemented by a passage detailing her love of food), and thought Plath absolutely nailed the feeling of being lost in the first stage of adulthood (and having no desire for the trappings of traditional womanhood). The sense of alienation also struck me as being far more personally relatable than Holden Caulfield’s bitter misanthropy (which just left me feeling angry and cynical).
Knowing what we do about Plath’s real life, the latter parts of the book are hard to read; her fictionalized account of her suicide attempts, institutionalization, and electroshock therapy feel real and raw and painful. It’s also striking how relevant her attitude toward traditional gender roles feels—I say this every time, but I’m constantly surprised at the radicalness of each wave of feminism.
There is some mild of-its-time-and-we-wouldn’t-say-it-now racism in this, but it’s nothing one isn’t used to when reading 20th century writing. Just an FYI for anyone not expecting it.
Similar Reads
The first part of the book reminds me of Min Jin Lee’s Free Food for Millionaires.
Overall very similar themes as Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation.
Similar feeling of alienation as Sayako Murata’s Convenience Store Woman.