Sylvia Plath
Just finished The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath, published in 1963 under a pseudonym "Victoria Lucas." It wasn't written as historical fiction, but I guess it would qualify nowadays. The accurate portrayal of how depression was treated in the late fifties is important history, I believe. It was a very hard read; if you have experience with or knowledge of mental illness, you will understand. It's real. I've never read anything remotely like it, though Howard Moss of the New Yorker said, "there was something girlish in its manner (that) betrays the hand of the amateur novelist." Huh! In 2019 BBC News listed it as one of the 100 most inspiring novels. Gee, I don't know if I'd say "inspiring." I persisted, because the writing is so beautiful. Her metaphors are indeed inspiring. The fact that she died by suicide, believing her writing would never amount to anything, breaks my heart. In 1982 her book, The Collected Poems, won a Pulitzer Prize. If only she'd had better help, she might still be with us, having written even more incredible works. I'd recommend it, for her raw honesty and unique writing style. So sad, but very true.
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Sylvia Plath
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