The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar


I have a habit of picking up a book without knowing anything about it. The Bell Jar is no exception. I'm not really sure how I made it this far in life without reading Sylvia Plath, but I do know who she is. At least, I know she's a writer, a poet, and that she killed herself by sticking her head in the oven. (apparently shortly after the publication of this book)

But I digress. We're discussing The Bell Jar.

And I really enjoyed reading it. Esther, the main character, is very real, very well written.  I really felt as though I knew her. Which makes sense, because it is loosely autobiographical.  Plath suffered from terrible depression, which is very clear in the reading. I can't imagine anyone having written so well about depression unless they have experienced it themselves. Having experienced depression myself, I know how Esther and Plath feel, and I wish someone had been able to help them. Depression isn't always something you can just snap out of. It's not always something terrible; sometimes it's just the blahs. People don't always understand and then aren't able to help. Plath does a great job at illustrating that.

 I recommend this book for anyone who would like more insight into depression.

Happy Reading!

Zelda's Cut

Zelda's Cut

As ya'll know, I love Philippa Gregory. However, Zelda's Cut is probably my least favorite of her works. I really like the concept -- a literary author being forced to write trash that sells for money to support her sick husband who thinks they  have much more money than they do -- but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. It both came out of nowhere and was completely acceptable for the characters. I really don't know. 

The novel is cleverly odd, and deals with a lot of important issues without actually talking about them. It was kind of nice, though, to just experience the issues and their affects. It does, however, discuss the concept of creating a person or an idea, and who has ownership over it. It talks about gender and sexual orientation. It's about self discovery. And, of course, it's about Art verses Entertainment. 

So. . . do I recommend Zelda's Cut? I'm not really sure. If you've never read Ms Gregory, it will probably turn you off to her, so don't let it be your first. But if you're feeling daring, or just want to discuss it with me, give it a shot. I'd love to hear what you think.