The Bell Jar

"If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed." So I came across this book by pure chance on one of the websites I frequent shabd.in and gave it a read and and i am glad i did so. The story itself is so poignantly written that it really evokes strong emotions in you. Sylvia Plath's writing is brutally honest and raw. She doesn't shy away from portraying the challenges and complexities of mental illness.

This is prose writing at it's absolute best, and however distressing the content of the book may be , you can't fail to be impressed by the masterful use of English by this unbelievably gifted young woman. I went on to read Sylvia's journal, and at that point it became obvious that you can substitute the name Esther for Sylvia - they are one and the same. I've felt compelled to read much of the other prose and poetry she wrote in her tragically short life and can totally understand why she's regarded as one of the greatest writers of twentieth century literature.

I can see how this may nbe an affirming book for some people but reading this just gave me sympathetic feelings of these things PSA don't read this in one day if it's January and you're already dealing with depression. This was just too close to home to much of a reminder of the reality of what I'm living and a warning of how far this can drag you and just wow. Yeah. Do read if youve never experienced mental illness for insight because this is so spot on.