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The Bell Jar

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The Bell Jar

Written by: Sylvia Plath
Narrated by: Maggie Gyllenhaal
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About this listen

READ BY THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ACTRESS MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL
'A modern classic.' Guardian
'A near-perfect work of art.' Joyce Carol Oates
I was supposed to be having the time of my life . . .
Working as an intern for a New York fashion magazine in the summer of 1953, Esther Greenwood is on the brink of her future. Yet she is also on the edge of a darkness that makes her world increasingly unreal. Esther's vision of the world shimmers and shifts: day-to-day living in the sultry city, her crazed men-friends, the hot dinner dances . . .
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath's only novel, is partially based on Plath's own life. It has been celebrated for its darkly funny and razor sharp portrait of 1950s society, and has sold millions of copies worldwide.
ONE OF THE BBC'S '100 NOVELS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD'
'As clear and readable as it is witty and disturbing.' New York Times Book Review

©2015 Sylvia Plath (P)2015 Faber & Faber
Fiction Genre Fiction Witty Mental Health

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What listeners say about The Bell Jar

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Wonderfully Read!


This book is timeless. Yes it was written of and in another time but what it says is just as true today. Ms. Plath's semi biographical fiction speaks of depression. Which she suffered most of her adult life.

The Bell Jar is still relevant as any one of us could be Esther. Yet as depressing as this book sounds, it isn't. Esther is young and witty and you really begin to care and become more hopeful and some of us even identify with her.

A powerful and well written book that should be on your to listen list.

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Worth the time

This is a book that deserves the reviews it gets. It is a study of class division and personal growth and pain. Highly recommended.

The narration by Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent.

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What a book.

The main character is not always a good person. Some people see this and the sympathy for the narrator as something that makes this book bad. This book is… well. It feels real. Almost too easy to put yourself in the main character’s shoes.

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Excellent

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s narration brings this story to life.
Beautifully written novel with rich, vivid language.

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The Bell Jar

This is one of my favourite books of all time and the narrator does an excellent job of capturing the feeling and evokes a wonderful mental picture.

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Superb!

The Bell Jar is one of my favourite books and Maggie Gyllenhaal is the perfect narrator. She sounds just like I imagined Esther Greenwood would sound, complete with the proper emotion and intonation.

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kept my attention

Kept my attention. The story flowed nicely and it seems this would be a good book for many ages.

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loved it

loved it so much, more then I thought then I ever would. amazing voice reader aswell

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a poet at heart

I think listening to this story was the ultimate experience because Plath's use of words sounds so mezmerizing to the ear, that at times I was tempted to lose track of the action. Her description brought me right to the 50's and 60's of the last century, warts and all. For Mental Health awareness, women's issues, or simply euphony, an excellent choice.

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A masterpiece of narration

The book is haunting and visceral. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s narration is so good, she’s inextricably tied with Esther Greenwood in my head now.

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