Monday, July 07, 2008

The Bell Jar



The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, is the story of one young woman's mental breakdown. I consider it a combination of Catcher in the Rye and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Plath's descriptions of the main character's breakdown, shock therapy treatment, and the asylum she is placed in are very well done.

I have to admit it took me a while to get into this one. Once it became clear that Esther Greenwood was not merely depressed, the pace picked up and I could not stop reading.

Rating: 8/10

4 comments:

  1. Oh! This has been on my TBR list for a long time now, but I never knew that it was a YA book.

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  3. Joy, I would not have considered it YA literature either, but it was on several YA lists.

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  4. I just looked this up in my library system and I saw it listed as both. I reserved the audiobook, so I can put it on my iPod and have it ready for when the mood strikes. :) Also, I think I'll add it on my Classics Challenge list. Thanks for the reminder.

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