I purchased two copies, one for my daughter and one as a Gift for her Literature teacher. We are very happy with the books!

I've been an avid reader of Sylvia Plath's writing for quite some time. It was her works that lead me into the realm of poetry. When I discovered that she had written a book, I was beyond thrilled. It always humbles me to take an adventure through her life guided by her vivid imagery, and this book was certainly nothing short of that.

The Bell Jar starts at a point in her life where she is in New York apprenticing as a journalist for a magazine. It is here that her mental stability begins to decay. From that time on, the main character, Esther Greenwood, reflects on the events in her life that lead up to her condition.

As someone with a generally differing take on life, I appreciate this book for it's representation of the alternative mind set. This book does not come out and say that the main character is ill, they set up her depression as a chronic piece of Esther's life. The presentation of a serious mental state being shown to the world as something relatable and relatively normal is, I think, a commendable ability. With that in mind, I would recommend it to anyone who is opened to an opposing thought process, it may just change your view on life.

This has to be one of my favorite novels of all time. I could honestly reread it over and over (and I have) and never get bored. It's written to believably, so hauntingly true, that it leaves you thinking maybe Miss Plath came in, stole your diary, and published it. I hate to spoil anything, but I will say anyone who is a perfectionist MUST READ THIS!

This book is pretty great. When I first started it, it felt sort of like a female Catcher in the Rye. Esther is a likeable character and a relatable teen in the beginning. Then her journey into a nervous breakdown begins. It is an interesting look into what was most likely Plath's battle with mental illness. I recommend the book. It is a quick, easy read and not nearly as dark as some others seem to describe it as being.

I think the reason why a lot of people haven't taken to her writing style is because you have to keep in mind that Sylvia Plath was, first and foremost, a poet - not a novelist. There is an honesty and poetic quality that embodies every single word of this book. This is not a book that was written to make people feel sorry for her and if you met Esther Greenwood in real life you may not even like her, but one thing you do come away with after reading this book is an understanding of how a person can go from functional to suicidal in a matter of days.

It's hard to understand under what conditions a person could commit suicide if you have never attempted it yourself (I never have.) And if you can't understand, you can't appreciate how real a suicidal person's feelings are. In this book, Sylvia lays out her feelings and thoughts with such honesty and poignancy that it literally becomes painful to imagine her suffering.

Besides suicide, the other major issue covered in this book is the feminist double-standard. Why is it that men who sleep with many women are congratulated and women who sleep with many men are socially chastised? She touches on this subject through her encounters with men. You can feel her frustration and anger with the double-standard and you know (knowing what is to come later on in the book) that this only exacerbates her feelings of hopelessness.

It's sad that poets are so underappreciated in our society. Overall, this is one of the best books written... ever. Poets write great prose because they see beauty and sadness where others see ordinary. Then they translate this to the written word and it becomes a glorious celebration of language.