Author: Sylvia Plath
Genre: YA Classic
Published: 1963
Personal Rating: 4/5
Yearly Count: 104
Sylvia Plath writes a semi-autobiographical account of her college years (early 1950's) as Esther Greenwood. "Esther" is a driven and talented student - succeeding at everything she attempts. As her life progresses, her stability begins to waver. Esther struggles with maintaining purpose in her life and experiences deep depression.
The character, Esther, was so believable; I found myself drawn into her world right from the start. The writing of Esther's story brought about many emotions and definitely was a sobering read.
I really love this book and glad you enjoyed it too. It's not the happiest tale but it certainly stuck a cord with me.
ReplyDeleteRhinoa ~ The mind is so fragile. Thankfully there are many more options these days for those that struggle.
ReplyDeleteI started this a few years back but didn't finish, and it's been haunting me ever since. I'll have to pick it up again. Thanks for your review.
ReplyDeleteCharley ~ "Haunting" is bad. Finish the book. :) Seriously, it's an interesting read throughout. I did some research (okay, all I did was visit Wikipedia) about her and found that information to be interesting as well. It also answered many questions I had regarding "after the book".
ReplyDeleteI've had this one on my shelf for a few years now and for some reason I'm really intimidated by it. I do really enjoy Plath's poetry, though (maybe *enjoy* isn't the right word...?). I'll have to say, Joy, it seems like you picked some good classics this year!
ReplyDeleteTrish ~ I was thinking that very same thought! :) Trust me - I am jumping for joy!
ReplyDeleteRegarding this book, I think you'd *like* it, Trish.
I've been meaning to read this book for a long time! Good review and I am glad that you liked it.
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Joy. I hope you're having a great day. You know I've heard about this book so many times and have not read it. Reading your review has made me realize I should do more than just think about reading it. I love books dealing with these types of issues.
ReplyDeleteSamantha ~ I think Esther is a character that most females can relate to in one way or another. It's a quick read, go for it. :)
ReplyDeleteDar ~ Good morning, Dar! :) I really enjoy anything psychological, whether it's a thriller, memoir, non-ficiton, etc. I didn't think it was a horribly dark and gloomy type of book, but I would be in a lighter mood when picking it up.
So, I've got this on my Classics Challenge list too. I appreciate your thoughts. As much as I know it's going to be a depressing read, I feel like I need to read it at least once :)
ReplyDeleteCorinne ~ In the past, I haven't been fond of classics, but this one is a worthy read (imho). It's not as gloomy as you might think. It's a gradual progression downwards. I look forward to your thoughts on it.
ReplyDeleteI finally picked The Bell Jar up again, and I loved it. Thanks for urging me to finish it.
ReplyDeleteCharley ~ I'm so glad you took the time to finish it - and loved it! :) Timing is very important, don't you think? I love the purple flower you have for your image.
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