Book notes: The Bell Jar & more
My books deserve more real estate (I think)
I love a book review as much as the next reader and I feel like the books I’ve been reading deserve more than the minimal real estate on my monthly wrapped series so here are some thoughts I collected recently about what I’ve been reading.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Path
I listened to this in Audiobook format and I think the Audible narrator did an amazing job. The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel that follows Esther Greenwood's descent into mental illness. The story chronicles her summer in New York as an intern at a fashion magazine, her return home, her subsequent breakdown, suicide attempt, and treatment in a psychiatric hospital.
This book painted the clearest image of the crushing weight of societal expectations on women and the feeling of being trapped and paralyzed by depression and anxiety. It was such a raw and poetic representation of mental health struggles which definitely made it hard to read at times.
Despite being set in the 50s, Esther’s hardships still feel so relevant today. The search for identity, feeling like you’re being pushed and pulled by other’s expectations, and the stigma around mental health issues. Not to mention the infamous “fig tree theory” that I’m sure has sent many of us spiralling.
Standout quotes:
"I was supposed to be having the time of my life."
"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am."
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
Am I the only one who went into this not knowing it’s about the Bundy case? I probably would’ve picked it up either way but something about walking into this blind made it SO much more terrifying. A story that’s based on real evils always leaves behind a prickly, unsettling feeling longer than other horror stories.
I loved that Knoll took a different angle with this book and wrote the stories of the victim’s loved ones. A friend who had a close call, family in denial, and all the rest of the fall out that people have to deal with when something awful happens.
I won’t lie, this book took me a little longer to read. I kept putting it down because it was a tad too real. I’m all for a book that makes you feel (like really feel) but emotionally I wasn’t ready to process all the lengthy details. I loved it nonetheless and the unique perspective made it a must-read.
Quotes:
"Fear is a complicated emotion, especially for women. It can keep you safe, but it can also keep you small."
"Silence is a predator's best friend."
Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura
A novel that talks about age difference in relationships, power dynamics, the ‘me too’ movement, and grooming. I love an exploration into human minds and this was a peek into a different life through the lens of a jilted ex-lover(?). Story structure plays a big part in how we experience books and I actually really enjoyed not just the dual timeline but the past being written in the form of a letter.
This structure provided a more personal and “diary-like” reading experience but also allowed for funny tidbits and petty comments that had me chuckling. While you’re learning the MC’s story, the author is also exploring the bigger topic of relationship power dynamics, loneliness, and grooming—all while keeping you wondering about the what’s going on in the bigger picture. Villarreal-Moura does such an amazing job at making you feel just as confused as the MC does about her toxic relationship which creates this parallel that feels really satisfying to experience. I really enjoyed this one.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Albom’s books never fail to evoke both a melancholic yet hopefully feeling. This short (but profound) story explores the afterlife journey of Eddie, an amusement park maintenance man who dies saving a little girl from a falling ride. In heaven, Eddie meets five people who had significant impacts on his life—some he knew, others he’s never met. Each encounter connects the dots from his life in an unexpected way, revealing the meaning of his seemingly ordinary existence.
The standout point for me has to be that our lives often touch others in ways we may never comprehend. Seemingly insignificant moments can profoundly affect someone else's story and through Eddie's journey, we're reminded that every life has purpose and all connections matter. I always leave Albom’s books feeling unsure whether I should kick my feet or bawl. But either way, it often leaves me thinking more deeply about how I live and who I want to be so that’s always a win in my books.
Quotes:
"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."
"There are no random acts. We are all connected. You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind."
If you’ve read any of these I’d love to hear if your thoughts were similar!