Welcome to Litsy!

Do you want to know what madness feels like? Or maybe you already do, but seeing your experience reflected in a modern classic might make you feel less alone or give you a new perspective? The Bell Jar is a complex, vivid, and beautifully, painfully wrought masterpiece, at turns scathingly funny, uncomfortably ugly, blazingly honest, and unbearably real. If you‘ve worked hard, followed the rules, only to realize it‘s all phony, this is for you.

I had this sitting on my shelf for years and was happy that the #HashtagBrigade motivated me to finally read it. I suppose I'd put it off because of the heavy themes, including mental illness and suicide. The novel was indeed disturbing and difficult to read, but also engrossing, poignant and even really humorous at times.

This has been on my tbr forever, and I am so glad the #HashtagBrigade read it, though I‘m pretty late finishing the book for the group.

This is a hard story to rate, as Esther‘s story is parts disturbing and hard to read. Knowing Plath‘s state of mind too adds to backstory of this mental health novel. It‘s not supposed to make one comfortable. Glad I read it! #192025 #1963 #LitsyAToZ #LetterB

#Wardens2025 #Read2025 #Roll100 #hashtagbrigade

Finished last week. Glad to have finally read/removed this classic from my physical shelves. So much happier also to have read it with great friends #hashtagbrigade 🥰💖

Thanks @BarkingMadRead for hosting #hashtagbrigade 💖

Also, this was one of my February #Roll100 picks📚

Book 26 of the year. #hashbridage

#bookbracket2025 Thanks, @Catsandbooks! 🤗

#readingbracket2025 Thank you, @CSeydel 🤗

February: THE BELL JAR
So far: THE CRUELEST MONTH

#weeklyfavorites
@Read4Life

Thank you, #hashtagbrigade and @BarkingMadRead for this week's gem.

What a gorgeous, wrenching book! I‘m sorry it took me so long to read it, and grateful to @BarkingMadRead and the #HashtagBrigade for moving it up my TBR. I don‘t know if it would have been even better to read when I was a teenager or if it would have been a little *too* relatable then.

I will love this book till the end of time. I've read a lot of bad reviews of it online and they make me want to weep. So many point to Esther's relative privilege, asking, "How could she be depressed?” As if mental illness cares about circumstance! As if being an ambitious woman in the '50s wasn't stultifying and stifling! Anyway, I'll be over here with Kat Stratford, relishing the gorgeous prose and feeling deeply understood. Thank you, Sylvia.

This book was a difficult read… bleak and depressing… but also very important. Plath‘s writing is incredible… so immersive. I‘m glad I read this with my #hashtagbrigade friends, led by the fabulous #BarkingMadRead . I‘m not sure I would have finished it on my own. When I reached the end, I was doing fine. And then I read the epilogue, which was a recap of Plath‘s life. Ugh. It plunged me back into despair. So sad.,😭

chapter 20: freaking Buddy #yeahbuddythisisallaboutyou #whataloser #peaceout ✌🏻#esthergoestojoansfuneral #suchbeautifulwriting #theend #hashtagbrigade

Read with #hashtagbrigade and despite some parts being hard to read on an emotional/historical level I LOVED IT! I hope Esther went on to live a good life

This semi-autobiographical novel is a profound exploration of mental illness, identity, and societal expectations in mid-20th-century America. While its bleak tone and unflinching honesty may not be for everyone, its literary craftsmanship is unparalleled and remains a vital contribution to discussions about mental health and gender. Like others, this was on my TBR forever. Thanks to the #hashtagbrigade and @BarkingMadRead for seeing me through.

This one sat on my #TBR for years! I might even have more than one copy as it had been one I had been meaning to read for years! Thank you #HashtagBridgade for allowing me to join in on this journey! I had a great time reading this depressing book with yall. @BarkingMadResd

#OffTheShelf2025
@Librariana

Ch 19: well, that went well #atleasthewasintelligent 🤷🏻‍♀️ #shehandleditsowell #joandidherasolid #imworriedabouthowthatdocfixedit #oneinamillion #poorjoan #shewasdoingsowell 😢 #hashtagbrigade

This has been on my tbr for years. Knowing the dark topic, I put it off til later. When the opportunity to read it with a group arose, I figured it was time. I‘m really glad I waited to read it with others, much better experience than I would have had going it alone. A HUGE thank you to @BarkingMadRead for hosting the BR. #hashtagbrigade

Three chapters in one day and I'm feeling grateful for Dr. Nolan. She may not have given Esther enough of a heads-up on the shock treatment, but true to her word, she was there every step of the way. She also starts to debunk some of Esther's deeply ingrained beliefs about sexual purity and sends her to get fitted for a diaphragm. Considering the time period, I think this practicing female psychiatrist is a total badass and I say, "Hail, hail."

Tuesday ch 18: I‘m liking Joan less and less #onesecondshesameangirl #thenextshesnot #fightingoverbuddysmom 🤣 #joancanhaveher #estherstakingbackherlife #hashtagbrigade

Ok, so I messed up somehow, and didn‘t post chapter 15. So, should I not post tomorrow and let everyone catch up? Sorry y‘all, I was in NOLA, the days just ran together!

Ch 17: on to the next place #spam #alittleswankier #joanisthere #meangirlsareeverywhere #thatdocfrustratesme #pooresther #hashtagbrigade

It's Philomena Guinea to the rescue again, this time paying for Esther to stay in a private hospital. She meets Dr. Nolan (a female doctor!) who seems miles better than Dr. Gordon, though Esther's illness is still in full effect, paranoia on high as she reads deep meaning and connection into random things (the matchbook, anyone?). She receives a now-debunked treatment, Insulin Shock Therapy, and meets up with her former maybe-nemesis Joan Gilling.

Ch 16: a new hospital #thankstophilomina #hopefullythisswankyplacehelps #notsureabouttheinsulinthing #orthisdoctor #letsjustblameitonmom #staytuned

Caught up on two bleak chapters and all I can think of is the White House plan to "asses the threat" of life-saving mental health care. We've always failed people with mental illness- when we locked them away and then kicked them back out into the streets, when we shoved them in overcrowded AFC homes, when we correlate mental illness with violence, and now this. There are countless Esthers today who need care; what are we doing to see they get it?

Ch 14: yikes, these nurses are not nice! #estherisnotapeepshowgeorge #dontbethatguy #whyyyyydidthatnursegiveheramirror #yikes #momisgonnatryandgetherout #imnotsurethatswise #butalsothisplacesucks #ijustwanttohugher #hashtagbrigade

Ch 13: this is so sad! This chapter was giving Better off Dead vibes, so many unsuccessful attempts #cryforhelp #momistryingsohard #daytripswithfriends #volunteeringatthehospital #weknowherlatestattemotwontwork #itdoesnttakeawayfromthetragedyifit #hashtagbrigade

I apologize in advance for being flip. Today's chapter is a really hard read and yet all I could think of was my very first pop culture exposure to ECT, the terrifying movie Return to Oz. Somehow a bunch of adults thought that making a movie where Dorothy undergoes shock therapy would be GREAT for kids! Anyway, all this to say, ECT is a horror no matter where you meet it- in a movie theatre age 5 or in a beautiful novel at the age of 17 or 40+.

Ch 12: I feel like hashtags are too disrespectful for this chapter 😢 #letstryanddothisright #immadatmom #ifeellikeshediminishedthesituation #thatnursesucked #sodidthedoctor #thatsallimgonnasayaboutthat #hashtagbrigade

Obviously Esther eventually has a HUGE effing reason to dislike Dr. Gordon, but at first, it's all about the vibes (ok, ok, and a large helping of mental illness). We see her negative symptoms become more intense, neglecting her own self-care and experiencing an uptick in suspicion of people around her. It's a tough chapter made worse by Dr. Gordon's prescription of shock treatment. Hold onto your hats, folks...

Ch 11: this doctor 💥 💥 🤬🤬#anyway #randomsailorstory #didheevenlistentoher #howdoesheexpecthertoimprove #ohyeah 💡 ⚡️ #ugh #readingaboutsuicideisnthelping #dontgetonthebus #atleastnowtherandomstorymakessense #offtochicago #maybe #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

At home, Esther learns she didn't make the summer writing course she applied for. Her mental health is really starting to deteriorate as she both spies on and hides from her neighbours and vacillates rapidly between summer plans (I'll write a novel! No, I'll learn shorthand! No, I'll read Finnegan's Wake!). None of that happens, but she does manage to break up with Buddy and inadvertently wind up with a referral to a psychiatrist. Both wins, tbh.

Ch 10: this was a lot #buckleup #homeagain #didntgetintothesummerclass #nobackupplan #randomstoryaboutaneighborwithsixpointfivekids #nosyblackwidowneighbor #didshereallyeatrawmeat #yikes #letswriteanovel #nevermind #letslearnshorthand #nope #letshaveanexistentialcrisis #letsrethunkourentirecareerpath #atleastsheblewoffbuddy #soproud #offtogetsomemeds #uhoh #referraltoashrink #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

The image I've concocted in my head of Esther throwing her clothes off the rooftop is so concrete and vivid that nothing I can find online even approximates it. But here's an image of two women on the roof of the real Barbizon Hotel so you get a sense of what her view may have been. This chapter is so intense and so profoundly sad, from Hilda's cold indifference to Marco's assault to the clothes floating into the city like "a loved one's ashes".

Ch 9: Esther‘s last night in NYC #iwouldbeemotionaltoo #tackypicsforthemagazine #bilegreen 🤮 #doreenwantstoparty #estherwantstopack #ofcoursertheyparty #esthergetsstuckwithawomanhater #sheshouldhavestuckhimwiththatpin 💎 #rightintheeye #ihopeheneverfindsit #ofcoursedoreenisnowheretobefound #estherdumpsallherfrumpyclothes #ilegitthoughtshewasgonnajump 😰 #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

A chapter full of disaster- an awkward, post-Christmas drive to the Adirondacks with Mr. Willard, Buddy making Esther read a terrible poem he wrote, an unwanted marriage proposal, and finally skiing lessons from Buddy *who has never gone skiing himself*?! All leading up to a broken leg on the slopes, and no wonder. Wish Esther had refused to ski full-stop because all of this is nonsense.

Ch 8: this freaking guy 🙄 #esthervisitsbuddyattheclinic #buddychubbedup #proposaltime #becausethissettingiswaybetterthanaletter 🙄 #timetogoskiing #buddyteachesesther #becausewatchingpeopleskimakeshimapro 🙄 #myeyeshurtfromrollingsomuch #whatcouldgowrong #letmetellyou #abrokenleg #jerk #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

This chapter is chock-full of so much beautiful writing. It might feel a little cliche and obvious today but I stand by the fig tree metaphor as being a perfect encapsulation of being young and staring down an uncertain future. And calling out the hypocrisy of sexual standards for women and the stultifying expectations of marriage at the time still feels so truthful and powerful. Hey young wannabe trad-wives, I've got a chapter for you to read....

Ch 7: #constantinwasinteresting #UNandasammie #estherisobsessedwiththerussiangirl #andfiganalogies #girl #focusonwhatyoucando #notwhatyoucant #easiersaidthandone #obsessedwithsex #shemeetsthestrangestpeople #weirdomagnet #balalaicamusicandanap #sobizarre #soletsdropabombandendthechapter #staytunedforthesagaofthebrokenleg #hashtagbrigade

So, I know that Esther is actually angry and frustrated with the restrictive and hypocritical double standards of her time and is taking it out on Buddy but the guy still pisses me off. My rational brain knows that he didn't lie to her - he came clean about the waitress as soon as she asked - but I still can't stand his smug, mansplain-y vibe and I don't blame Esther for feeling relieved when he's shipped off to the Adirondacks.

Ch 6: well. Now we know. #nothingsaysromancelikeadatetothehospital #thatwillguywasanass #peoplewholiveinglasshouses #notsureiwouldwantthatviewofabirth #buddyshowedhis #esthersaidnaw #soproud #thatTBwashiskarma #psychosomaticmyass #esthergiveszerofucks #goesther #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

Esther gets a call from a guy named Constantine, but soon realizes the mother of her situationship is behind it. In her memory, we meet the man himself- Buddy Fucking Willard, who grandly condescends to visit her at college, who gives her a "dry, uninspiring" kiss, and who, worst of all, is smugly dismissive of her poetry. But in between Constantine and Buddy, Esther reads a beautiful short story and wants to go live inside of it- 100% relatable!

Ch 5: a glimpse at the Buddy relationship #letscollectweirdnamedguys #itsoktosayno #sobuddyisahypocrite #whyyoumightask 🤷🏻‍♀️ #whoknows #maybenextchapter #pooresthercantcatchabreakanywhere #tooselfconscious #herstudyinggivesoffroryvibes #notsurehowifeelaboutbuddy #hesdefinitelynocatch #andacrappykisser 👄 #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

Reading this book as a teen, Esther's thoughts and feelings were so close to my own that it felt totally contemporary. And then I'd come across an undeniably '50s reference and my brain would melt - like when Jay Cee "pinned on a hat of imitation lilacs" and patted Esther's shoulder with a "lilac-gloved hand". Hats and gloves? In the daytime?! At work?? Must be a fantasy world! Anyway, enjoy these pics of 1950s lilac hats; which one's your fave?

My 2 day old granddaughter, Hazel Anne is helping me through the vomiting 🤮
Here is a blurb about Plath‘s real benefactress, Olivia Higgins Prouty, referred to in the novel as Philomena Guinea:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_Higgins_Prouty

#hastagbrigade

Ch 4: well this took a turn #timeforabadmovieaboutfootball #technicolor #spoton 💃🏻 #butwait 🤮🤮 #alllllthepuking #byalllllthegirls #maybedoreenisthesmartoneafterall #soupforeveryone #andabook #youknow #sotheydontsue 🤷🏻‍♀️ #seemslegit #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

Time for a stupid fancy luncheon complete with "mountainous centrepieces" made of fruit! The whole thing screams "ostentatious" and though Esther absolutely demolishes an entire bowl of caviar like she's made for it, the whole episode is contrasted against her childhood memories of eating economy meat-loaf and only occasionally sampling luxury food with her waiter grandfather. We also get a deeper look at her growing inertia and lack of direction.

A true depiction into the human psyche as to what it is to live in a mind that is depressed of joy and meaning. Being mentally ill can sometimes be worse than being physically ill and it is most definitely something that society in general but especially here in the states should be taken more seriously. Further funding needs to be pushed towards research on mental health and mental health services. An artist lost prematurely to suicide.

Ch 3: Esther likes to eat #allthecaviarallthetime #eatlikethatpoetgirl #liveyourbestlife #jayceegaveherawhoopin #sheneedstostandupforherself #easiersaidthandone #thosecollegestoriesthough #socrafty #channelthatcraftinessnow #andlearnsomelanguages #languagesarehard #hashtagbrigade

There is so much to sink our teeth into in chapter 2, namely Esther's growing sense of loneliness and alienation. The feeling she describes sitting on her own watching Doreen and Lenny flirt and make out is so recognizable, and her later isolation at the hotel when the city "hung in the window, flat as a poster" is so vivid I can feel it in my bones. But it's her rumination on the power of a scorching hot bath that has lived with me for years now.

Ch 2: our girl was third wheeling it! #untilshewasnt #ilegitthoughtdoreenwasbeingattacked #ourgirlbails #becausewalkingfortynycblocksissosafe #girl #bathtime #ifeelthisinmysoul #sadnessneedsbathtime #doreenisback 🤮 #ourgirlplanstohangwiththecalmergirls #letsseehowthatgoes #staytuned #hashtagbrigade