The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Sylvia Plath, published in 1963. It tells the story of Esther Greenwood, a talented and ambitious young woman who struggles with mental illness and societal pressures in the 1950s.

The Bell Jar is a powerful and poignant portrayal of mental health and the pressures faced by young women. Plath's use of language and imagery captures the complexities of Esther's inner world, making the novel a powerful exploration of the human condition.

It’s Plath’s only novel, and the book is often regarded as a roman à clef due to its parallelism with the author’s own experiences and her struggle with mental illness. Plath committed suicide a month after The Bell Jar was first published.

The Bell Jar is Sylvia Plath's best-known work, and one of the most iconic female coming-of-age stories. Besides the true first edition, other collectible copies are:

Second edition (William Heinemann; London, 1964). Only the first and second editions bear Plath’s pseudonym. It is bound in green boards with silver gilt titles, and geometric white and mauve dustwrapper. The pseudonym was later changed under the guidance of Plath’s husband, the poet Ted Hughes, and her mother to her real name in the trade edition published by Faber in 1966.

First American Edition (Harper & Row; New York, 1971). Originally bound half-cloth and paper over boards. Stated "First U.S. Edition" on the copyright page. Original price of $6.95 on the front flap.

The Folio Society edition (2022). This The Bell Jar’s luxury edition has a colored frontispiece and six plates, pictorial cloth, backstrip lettered in white and black. It is introduced by Heather Clark and illustrated by Alexandra Levasseur.