Our first book selection is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. The Bell Jar was Sylvia Plath's only novel. It was originally published in the UK in 1963 under the name Victoria Lucas. The novel is semi-autobiographical, and reflects the authors decent into depression. Plath famously committed suicide via Carbon Monoxide poisoning, by sticking her head in her oven a month after the novel was published. It took 4 years before the book was published under her real name, and it wasn't released in the US until 1971.
The best "spoiler free" summary I could find was from Cliffs Notes:
"The Bell Jar is the story of 19-year-old Esther Greenwood, the breakdown she experiences, and the beginnings of her recovery."
Keep your eyes out for upcoming posts about this classic novel from our Lazy Moms.
Sorry for the delayed discussion of the Bell Jar ladies I have been super busy getting packed up to move to Seattle.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I really enjoyed this read. The beginning was a bit slow but once she had left school and came home the book really took off at that point it was like watching a train wreck. I felt l Ike I was at the beach with her when she buried that hot dog in the sand. That raw emotion she has in those pages you really feel it. When she got to the Asylum I was thinking to my self "god can you imagine this was normal a lot of people lived like this and their families in most cases would turn the cheek. Her mother pissed me off frankly. I laughed when Ester told her she can bring her roses when she is dead." Anyway I really like Dr. Nolan she was almost Motherly in a seance to Ester did anyone else feel like this? It's an interesting read one that I'm glad we chose as our first Novel. The version of the book that I have has Mad Girl's Love Song that she wrote in college in 1954. It's goes as follows......
I shut my eyes and the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in :
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me I to bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite
Insane.
(I think I made you up inside me head.)
God topples from the sky, hell's fire fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you'd return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)
I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
( I think I made you up inside my head.)
She was more talented than she could see. What did everyone else think of her only Novel?
What are we reading next?
I did think Dr. Nolan was mothering to Esther, and I think that made her freak out more about Dr. Nolan not giving her notice about her shock treatment the night before. She trusted her and she felt let down that she gave someone that trust and she didn't feel like Dr. Nolan followed through. But just like a mom, Dr. Nolan wanted to make sure that Esther didn't stay up all night worrying about the treatment. And she would have... Dr. Nolan knew Ester. She got her.
ReplyDeleteI love the poem. It seems that she has always had a knack for getting the reader to understand the feelings she is writing with.