The Bell Jar

I have just finished reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (her only novel written). The story is about a girl named Esther who is put through many different emotions, and is eventually sent to an asylum to help her to get some sleep and to stop her from wanting to commit suicide. She describes her insomniac depression as the feeling of being trapped under a bell jar, struggling to breathe. I love how the story ends in a quizzical way, leaving the reader to determine what should become of Esther. The book ends with Esther walking into an interview room where it will be determined whether or not she needs to be in the asylum anymore.

I recently learned that the book is semi-autobiographical and has many similarities to the author's real life, excluding the names of people and places.

Next book: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey