Sorry for the lack of updates lately, but life has been really mad with both work and kids and it’s exam season so it’s about to get madder! One of these days I’m sure I’ll have a normal life!

I’ve been reading Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’ lately. I’ve always loved her as a poet, but I often find that poets don’t transfer well to being novelists and vice-versa. D.H. Lawrence is a prime example there. I love his novels, but his poetry just doesnt grab me. So, in Plath’s case I’ve avoided this book for many, many years - which I absolutely shouldn’t have done in retrospect.

Her prose is every bit as well crafted and beautiful as her poetry is. It’s melodic to read - lyrical, I suppose and the imagery is every bit as strong and effortless as it is in her poetry. The story of Esther is in some ways Plath’s own story - the biographical links are too strong to ignore: the academic overachiever who won prizes, the long-dead father, the loss of control and the time spent with shock therapies in the institute following a suicide attempt. One of the things I liked best was the alteration of style as Esther’s condition worsened, and then changed again when she began to recover and become more in control. The parallels between Esther and Joan were done well, and it was impressive that the reader was more shocked than Esther was at Joan’s eventual suicide when it appeared that she was doing so well.

A must read. Gorgeous, gorgeous prose and a fascinating story to boot!