Welcome to Litsy!

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

Here we go… #HashtagBrigade

#HashtagBrigade

Excited to be finally reading this book. It‘s been on my shelf for years. My copy is a Book of the Month club edition published in 1993.

@BarkingMadRead

Here we go, out the gate running fast with one of the best, most evocative opening lines ever (fight me). We're dropped right into Esther's life in New York, though she narrates from a distance, and the details are so vivid despite her sense of disconnectedness. I love the juxtaposition of her feeling "wise and cynical as all hell" even as she's too naive to know what to order in a bar and too young to see that Doreen's lead isn't worth following.

Ch 1: #ourgirlisobsessedwiththerosenbergs #inNYConscholarship #doreensoundslikeapill #everythingourgirlwantstobe #shetriessohard #neverquitehitsthemark #alwaysontheoutsidelookingin #offtoaparty #idonttrustthesecowboys #doreeniscalmcoolcollected #afewdrinksandmovingon #whatcouldgowrong #staytuned #hashtagbrigade

A breath of fresh air #hashtagbrigade 🎉

Repost for @BarkingMadRead

#hashtagbrigade I know there‘s no break, but tomorrow we start this one!! Anyone is welcome to join us, just know that my hashtags are often ridiculous and always chapter spoilers, so don‘t read the post until you‘ve read that day‘s chapter. We read a chapter a day.

The gratuitous cover reveal. This one is from the ‘70‘s, like myself.

#HashTagBrigade @BarkingMadRead

#Hashtagbrigade

This is the edition I will be reading. Looking forward to this re-read to see if it still holds up for me. I first read it when I was in my twenties, not much older than the protagonist.

#hashtagbrigade I know there‘s no break, but tomorrow we start this one!! Anyone is welcome to join us, just know that my hashtags are often ridiculous and always chapter spoilers, so don‘t read the post until you‘ve read that day‘s chapter. We read a chapter a day!

I felt so drained after finishing this book I couldn't even begin to think how to review it.

I really enjoyed Plath's writing, its lyrical, captivating, and unique. I'll be on the lookout for her poetry.

👇🏻 continue below 👇🏻

I feel I might have over committed for this month 🤪

Repost for @BarkingMadRead

Who is in for the Bell Jar? Drop a comment below! Note that we start in the 9th, and remember that my hashtags are often ridiculous and always chapter spoilers, so don‘t read the post each day until you‘ve read the chapter! Chapter a day! #hashtagbrigade
Amanda, I have two tag lists. One at the beginning of each new month, and one for each individual book, opt ins only.

This is my second timwle to read this book (and definitely not the last). It's this amezes me how Slyvia Plath wrote the Bible of tortured girls. I never can put a finger on when Esther goes mad.

I needed to find this for @DieAReader so I figured I would post it again. Who is in for the Bell Jar? Drop a comment below! Note that we start in the 9th, and remember that my hashtags are often ridiculous and always chapter spoilers, so don‘t read the post each day until you‘ve read the chapter! Chapter a day! #hashtagbrigade
Amanda, I have two tag lists. One at the beginning of each new month, and one for each individual book, opt ins only.

My #bookspinbingo stack is missing two books, one is being delivered on Monday and one is on my kindle. It‘s a fun stack! @TheAromaofBooks

#christmascheer #bowsandribbons #wintergames2024 #xmaschacha

This novel is a fictionalized, exaggerated and distorted telling of a dark period of the life of its author, Plath. This is a relatable account This is my 4th read. Each time, I want the real woman to live and be the bad girl poet she wanted to be instead of a wife and mother. Each time, I hope that the real woman‘s life ends differently than it did. I guess that‘s a definition of my own madness.

Have always been a bit hesitant to read The Bell Jar. Any tips/experiences, folks?

Ft. Pretty handmade bookmark from my friend to help with it❤️

“I thought the most beautiful thing in the world must be shadow.”
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

#Shadow
#WickedWhispers

“What does a woman see in a woman that she can‘t see in a man?”
Doctor Nolan paused. Then she said, “Tenderness.”
That shut me up.

#SchoolSpirit #Bell
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

“But I wasn't sure. I wasn't sure at all. How did I know that someday―at college, in Europe, somewhere, anywhere―the #bell jar, with its stifling distortions, wouldn't descend again.”

💔💔

It‘s time for a reread…

#SchoolSpirit
#Bell

#SchoolSpirit Day 2: #Bell

#SchoolSpirit September 2nd #bell

The naughty book-eater!!!

This was such an excellent book!! Love it!!

#dogsoflitsy #Reading1001 #1001

My dog had a lil snack this morning, she ate a little bit of the corner of this library book!!!

Should I tell the library? I could leave a post-it note on the inside…first time she‘s damaged a library book.

Bella (my dog) had completely destroyed one other book, Robin Hood, thankfully I bought it for $1 from library book sale. Oof.