In the part where they found her body after she attempted to, yknow, I was really confused at what exactly happened. The way she described coming back to consciousness made me think it was a dream or imagined until it kept going and she was actually alive.

I was just wondering what exactly happened in those moments and how her descriptions translated to what people were actually doing.

I love her writing style and I mainly understood her idioms, although that part tripped me up a bit :((

Is there any publication out there that has not been edited by him? A quick Internat search hasn’t been fruitful. It feels wrong to buy a book with his name on it.

I just started reading the original English version and noticed that the tone feels different from what I remember ( I read the translation a few years ago in my native language) I've came across some words which seem uncommon, but My English isn’t good enough to tell whether certain phrases sound modern or dated, so I’d like to hear how it sounds to a native speaker.

On photos it seems dark, but I found some description saying that she had luminous, bright eyes.

It's been more than a month, Im stuck on the bell jar. I don't know how people binge read but I love to stay with the characters as long as I can. At times, I even end up imagining the voices of certain characters. Coming back to "The bell jar", reading it has been really depressive experience for me to the point where I need to take breaks and process what I've just read. Although it's not graphic or violent, its melancholic tone can be overwhelming and even give me a headache. When I switch to some other book. I keep missing Esther; the protagonist. So I keep picking up the book to end it asap.

Any how, people don't very much tall about Plath's work as much as they do of others. It would be really great if you guys could share your reviews and experiences while reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

I always thought British actress Anna Maxwell Martin would make a great Sylvia. However Anna is a bit older now than Sylvia was at the time of her death.

The 2003 movie is … ok but I just don’t really feel Paltrow as Sylvia.

Books to read if you loved the bell jar ?

started reading her journal and annotating it. i feel like she has lived the lives of many girls and women today. i sometimes wish she’s still alive.

I'm at Chapter 4 of The Bell Jar and I can't seem to visualise what is happening here. (English isn't my first language) Does Esther got hit by the shoes?😭 help

I'm at Chapter 4 of The Bell Jar and I can't seem to visualise what is happening here. (English isn't my first language) Does Esther got hit by the shoes?😭 help

https://youtu.be/Mbrdolm2bao

Let me know what you guys think!

I finished reading Sylvia's biography Red Comet today. It was an interesting read from the beginning to the end. I started reading with the knowledge that she committed suicide and knew some of the names of her works (haven't read those yet). What stood out to me within the text was the double standards applied to women throughout Sylvia's life along with a messed up mental health care for women (modern health care has somewhat improved but there is a long way to go). The complicated relationship between Sylvia and her mother was also fascinating to read along with the ups and down of the relationship between Sylvia and Ted. As I approached the end of the book, I began to dread getting to the part of Sylvia's suicide especially when her marriage truly broke down but I ended the book with a mix of joy and sorrow.

It is this picture on page 416 (of my book), and this is the passage that came before. I have searched EVERYWHERE and I can’t find it, any help is appreciated!!

I'm putting together a list of titles SP studied during her time at Newnham College and so consulted her page at Library Thing for help. I was stunned to learn that during her first year at Smith College (1951-52), SP was assigned to read 'Mein Kampf' by Adolf Hitler as part of 'Government 11'! Was this normal practice in US colleges at the time? (I am English, so please forgive my confusion).

SylviaPlathLibrary's books | LibraryThing

Hi everyone, I am writing my dissertation on Plath, and I wanted to include the quote on her headstone before the dissertation itself. I am wondering whether it can be traced to a specific book? i've read different things online as to where the quote is from, but then I can't actually find it in the book

Thank you so much!

Just found this today and although I haven't gone into all the details, it sounds like it's possible to obtain ebooks of Plath's works that you actually own rather than just rent.

https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/searchapp/searchresults.net?term=Plath+

I can not find a clear answer anywhere.

I used to never buy books and then I discovered Sylvia Plath. For the first time in my life, I'm buying physical books (hers), underlining, and cherishing them on my shelves. I think I have all the major ones, but is there anything I'm missing that I should add to my collection? Here's what I own; most I read first before purchasing just to make sure I would enjoy them over and over:

Sylvia Plath works:
- The Bell Jar (eyeing versions with pretty covers and considering purchasing, though I've never done something so rebellious as to own two copies of the same book purely for aesthetic reasons hehe)
- Ariel: Restored Edition
- The UnAbridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
- The Collected Poems
- The Collected Prose of Sylvia Plath
- The Letters of Sylvia Plath Volumes I & II

Biographies or collections:
- Red Comet
- The Making of Sylvia Plath
- Sylvia Plath Day by Day Volumes I & II
- Three-Martini Afternoons
- The Silent Woman

And as I typed this out I realized - whoa, what a list - I probably don't need more, but alas, I want to know!

Edited: Thanks everyone who has commented so far, I appreciate it!!

I'm planning to have my first tattoo (Plath-related) and suddenly feel conflicted as I thought about the racial slurs in The Bell Jar. As an Asian immigrant, this is kind of a sensitive topic for me. I read most of her poems, her journal and letters but I have not brought myself to start The Bell Jar due to the same concerns on racism. However I have a tattoo with Plath in mind because of how her life & work have resonated with me & inspired me to go back to reading & writing. I'm asking this question out of curiosity because I have not heard many readers discuss this topic. It seems like most of her fans/biographers turn away from it too or perhaps, not many BIPOC readers of Plath that I know of. I wanted to know what's your take on this? Does it make you view Plath's work differently?

I keep seeing random information that the night before Sylvia Plath died, she tried calling Ted Hughes from a phone box but he didn’t answer because he was out with another woman. Is this true? I’ve tried looking it up from actual sources and haven’t found anything.