The Bell Jar

We felt that this wasn't a book to be read and enjoyed with a strong story line, it was simply a book trying to make the reader understand what it is like to live through mental illness. This makes it uncomfortable to read at times especially given the author actually went through similar things to the protagonist in her own real life. For example, she was treated at one time using electro-shock treatment a particularly nasty experience. This gave the story a large dose of realism which probably added to the readers ability to empathise with the character. We then went on to discuss the use of electric shocks as a way of treating mental illness, and although we could see the logic to it, we couldn't understand how it could actually be used on fragile human beings. We talked about how we're still very much only just learning how the brain actually works, and what happens when it breaks a little.

 

We also discussed who the characters in the book might have been given that Sylvia Plath was obviously the lead character. Maybe her then husband Ted Hughes might have been one of the characters, possibly the professor?

 

With regards the lack of storyline, we felt that it was very much a stream of consciousness rather a story with a plan. This meant there was often not much explanation, it felt more like a person writing a diary who doesn't need to explain anything because it's something only the writer will ever read. The book didn't seem to have a beginning middle and end as most books tend to have, it was as if the reader had just picked up one diary from a series of diaries and read that with not much context. The ending showed this particularly well.

 

The book seemed to be easy to read with regard to the writing style, it flowed easily despite the uncomfortable subject matter. However, it wasn't a book that many of the members of the book club felt compelled to pick up, probably because of the lack of a strong story line. Once it was picked up though it was enjoyed.

 

An interesting point made by one member of the book club was the symbol of the bell jar itself seeming to represent the fact that the person within cannot hear those outside and vice versa, meaning that they cannot understand each other. It could also mean that the person inside the bell jar feels themselves to be some kind of science experiment with other people watching her but not interacting with her.

 

We found the descriptions of depression and mental illness to be very interesting, we felt that the person with mental illness may not even realise that this is waht they're suffering from. They may simply believe that they are having difficulty sleeping or concentrating when really they are severly depressed.

 

Overall we gave this book 5 out of 10.