The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Rating 4/5

The Bell Jar is a semiautobiographical novel by Sylvia Plath. She tells the story of Ester Greenwood, a young, intelligent girl, who sprials into mental illness. She, like Plath, is an aspiring writer. Ester is checked into the mental hospital after attempted suicide while in college. She undergoes therapy and electroshock therapy. There, she runs into Joan, a fellow collegemate, who eventually commits suicide. Ester turns to her friends for support because she does not get the support from her mother. The book ends with the happy anticipation of Ester being released from the hospital. I can't remember when Plath finished the book, if she finished it when she was on an emotional high because I know her life ended differently. The Bell Jar tells of the misconceptions of mental illness in the 50s and 60s. I'm glad to know that so much more is being done today.