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#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.
pickWhat 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.
pickI 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.
pickRead 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.
Ch 19: well, that went well #atleasthewasintelligent 🤷🏻♀️ #shehandleditsowell #joandidherasolid #imworriedabouthowthatdocfixedit #oneinamillion #poorjoan #shewasdoingsowell 😢 #hashtagbrigade
pickThis 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."
