The Alibi Book Club #15

I'm coming close to reaching the halfway mark in my 2016 reading challenge. 13 books out 30 - not bad! And I thought I would try to dive into some more modern classics and while browsing in Waterstones, I came across Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. It's a dark novel but also witty which is great as I do like to take a break for super serious fiction. (I just finished A Little Life and what a ride it took me on, Jennie from sailboat, if you're reading this... I nearly did cry!) Even though it's about 234 pages, it's a beautiful read and you can easily get sucked in.

"I was supposed to be having the time of my life. When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on 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. The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath's only novel, was originally published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. The novel is partially based on Plath's own life and descent into mental illness, and has become a modern classic. The Bell Jar has been celebrated for its darkly funny and razor sharp portrait of 1950s society."

I finished the book yesterday morning and yet, I do actually want to pick it up again soon. It certainly deserves the title of being a modern classic, and I think it would have been interesting to study if 1950s society and mental illness could be a topic in English Literature. If you're looking for something different to read, then this is it. Period.