The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar follows Esther Greenwood, a talented young woman from Massachusetts who wins a month-long guest editorship at a New York magazine. As she confronts professional pressure, conflicting expectations about femininity and success, and her own sense of disconnection, her mental state deteriorates. The novel traces her experiences with depression, institutional treatment, and the difficult process of trying to imagine a future for herself. It is a semi-autobiographical exploration of identity, ambition, and psychological illness in 1950s America.

by Sylvia Plath

Harper & Row · First published 1963 · 296 pages