The Bell Jar

So, while I've been reading and enjoying immensely The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, I found myself at my parents' house over the weekend without it. So, I picked up my copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. (Yes, I have unread books at my parents' house, too. Not all of them are on the list . . . )

This book wasn't really what I expected. I knew it was about someone who worked at a magazine and who went crazy, but I thought she worked at the magazine longer and that her career had more to do with her craziness than it actually did. Instead, Esther Greenwood is in a month-long program at a Manhattan fashion magazine the summer before her senior year of college. My friend recommended this book to me when I started talking about working in New York publishing, but really Esther is only in New York for about the first third of the book.

Then, she goes crazy. Being Sylvia Plath, there are some interesting feminist comments, but it's mostly a description of her descent into crazy. An autobiographical description, according to the note at the back of my copy. I did enjoy . . . well, enjoy isn't the right word . . . I did think the book was well-written and compelling, but it wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be considering what a classic it is. Still, I'm glad I read it.