The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Narrator: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Pages: 244
Published by HarperAudio
Publication Date August 2nd 2005
Goodreads
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.
Impressions In a Nutshell:
Sylvia Plath did an excellent job drawing the reader (or in this case the listener) into Esther’s world and her slow journey down the rabbit hole. My attention was not captured right away. I continued to ask myself when she was going to “get crazy”. I questioned Esther’s stability through the majority of the book and then, like Emeril, Bam! It hits you like a ton of bricks. Plath’s slow build-up caught me off guard and I found it was her pacing that kept me avidly listening.
Audio Impressions:
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s slow drawl was perfect for this novel. The slow pace helped me keep my mind organized while listening to such and erratic story.
Great review! I read this book a long time ago, but I remember Esther’s experiences with depression being very similar to mine. I should probably reread it someday.
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