The Bell Jar

De: Sylvia Plath

Narrado por: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Duración: 7 h y 24 m

Resumen del Editor

Read by the critically acclaimed actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.

When Esther Greenwood wins an internship at a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther's life begins to slide out of control. She finds herself spiralling into depression and eventually a suicide attempt as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take women's aspirations seriously.

Sylvia Plath's groundbreaking semiautobiographical novel offers an intimate, honest and often wrenching glimpse into mental illness. The Bell Jar broke the boundaries between fiction and reality and helped cement Sylvia Plath's place as an enduring feminist icon. Celebrated for its darkly humorous, razor-sharp portrait of 1950s society, it continues to resonate with readers today as a testament to the universal human struggle to claim one's rightful place in the world.

©2015 Sylvia Plath (P)2015 Faber & Faber

A really interesting and moving piece.

Such a different read. Really interesting content- a bit morbid but gets you thinking. I enjoyed it a lot, read it in one sitting.

Beautiful and touching

Absolutely wonderful masterpiece by Sylvia Plath. As someone who has experienced mental illness myself, I find the main character/narrator highly relatable and compelling. Definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a nuanced fiction novel about the effects of depression, or anyone who just enjoys good writing and a great story.

Great performance

Enjoyed the book and Maggie's voice is just perfect.
Definitely listening it again. Highly recommended.

Loved it!

I absolutely loved this audiobook! The feelings of the main character are relatable to a lot of people, I think. Plath’s writing is beautiful and Gyllenhaal voicing the main character is a perfect match. After completing the novel I missed Gyllenhaal’s narration so much that I also purchased her take on the 35h Anna Karenina (which I just finished and loved). I warmly recommend this novel!

Intense

Very intense book from the person with mental illness.. well written though. Feels like if creepy!

Wonderfully read by Maggie Gyllenhaal

You believe that Maggie is Plath, or Esther, she really does this important book justice.

Writing is beautiful. Gyllenhaal was immaculate.

Maggie Gyllenhaal was absolutely immaculate. She embodies Esther Greenwood perfectly and switches voices and tones depending on character well.

Sylvia Plath has written so beautifully and well. The depiction of a nervous breakdown felt slow and subtle to me, and I think that's very accurate. The little things Sylvia describes are all magical in their sometimes melancholic way. Some things were relatable. Esther as a character is a somewhat normal person and was sometimes relatable. I think that goes to show how mental illnesses can affect anyone. Plath's work was revolutionary for her time in regards to feminism and mental health. However, some mildly racist terminology is used, and there is maybe one scene that read as racist to me. There is also a lack of people of color except for one very minor antagonistic character so there's that, but I guess this is somewhat characteristic of her time. All in all, it is tragic that Sylvia never got to write her second book. It would've been superb. This is close to the first of Sylvia's work I've read, and I'll definitely be reading more.

Low intensity, beautiful, well read

Low intensity, beautiful and well read. Enjoyed the performance and got things to think about.

Loved it..

I was surprised by how much I loved this book as I usually stick to non-fiction and reading to gain factual knowledge. However this book surprised me - I'm so glad I found it. Perhaps I connected to it having suffered from depression and anxiety for periods throughout my whole life.

I adore Maggie's voice and think she was a perfect match for reading this book. Also the writing was incredibly well done.

Relatable and Melancholy

I think I got more out of this book with Maggie’s performance behind it. Sometimes I felt rubbed the wrong way and I don’t know if it was the words or the way Maggie said them. Maybe I was supposed to react that way. The first hour or so into it I couldn’t understand why it was a classic - but I’m glad I listened the whole way through. Even in today’s setting you can relate to the topics of mental health, societal pressures and feminism. Good purchase! Might listen again if I’m in a melancholy mood :)