The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The novel follows the story of a young woman who wins a guest editorship at a magazine in New York City and, after a series of personal and professional disappointments, suffers a mental breakdown and returns to her family, where she continues to struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. The protagonist's experiences in psychiatric institutions and her attempts to reclaim her life are depicted with brutal honesty, making it a poignant exploration of mental illness and the societal pressures faced by women in the mid-20th century.
The 102nd greatest book of all time
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- Published
- 1963
- Nationality
- American
- Length
- Short
- Pages
- 200-300
- Original Language
- English
- Avg User Rating
-
(4.1)
- Alternate Titles
-
- A Câmpanula De Vidro
- Die Glasglocke
- Glasklokken
- Glaskupan
- La Campana De Cristal
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This book is on the following 46 lists:
- 9th on The new modern classics — the nation’s favourite 20th century novels (The Times)
- 14th on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 26th on The 50 best books of the past 100 years (The Times)
- 27th on The 100 Best Books from 1900 to the Present (Yedioth Ahronoth)
- 41st on 50 Best-Loved Novels Written by a Woman (United Kingdom) (Guardian)
- 47th on 50 Classics You Must Read Before You Die (Gyldendal (Denmark Publisher))
- 49th on Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Harvard Book Store)
- 57th on Waterstone's Books of the Century (LibraryThing)
- 68th on R/ClassicLiterature's Top 100 Favorite Books (R/ClassicLiterature)
- 81st on Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century (themodernnovel.com)
- 106th on Books Of The Century (Library Journal)
- 160th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- 100 Best Novels Written in English (The Guardian)
- 100 Books, 100 Companions (Zeit Online)
- 100 Books to Love (Sunday Times)
- 100 Great 20th Century English-language Works of Fiction by Women (Feminista!)
- 100 Novels That Shaped Our World (BBC)
- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (The Center for Fiction)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- 25 Books to Read Before You Turn 25 (The Guardian)
- 40 Essential Feminist Books to Read for Women's History Month (Harpers Bazaar)
- 500 Great Books by Women (Book)
- 50 Best Cult Books (Telegraph)
- 50 Books to Read Before You Die (Barnes and Noble)
- 75 Books by Women Whose Words Have Changed the World (Women's National Book Association)
- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read (Jezebel)
- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down (Pop Sugar)
- A Century of World Literature 1925 - 2025 (Der Spiegel)
- An Updated Canon: 72 Books Every Man Should Read (InsideHook)
- A Response to David Handlin’s “One Hundred Best American Novels” (The American Scholar)
- Fifty French Writers Choose Their Favorite 10 Books - Honourable Mention (On en garde 10 ! Pour la littérature)
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher (Harenberg Buch der 1000 Bücher)
- People Are Sharing The One Book That Has Stood Out To Them In All Their Years Of Reading (Buzzfeed)
- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time (Runners-Up) (The Guardian)
- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- The 50 Books Everyone Needs to Read, 1963-2013 (Flavor Wire)
- The 75 Best Books of the Past 75 Years (Parade Magazine)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- The Graphic Canon (Book)
- The Great American Novels (The Atlantic)
- The Modern Library: The Two Hundred Best Novels in English Since 1950 (The Modern Library (Book))
- #ThisBook (#ThisBook)
- Top 100 Books (Lincoln Journal Star)