Among Sylvia Plath's poetry, short and long stories, and children's books, her novel The Bell Jar is the best known. It reads as a semi-autobiographical narrative, entwining aspects of Plath's experiences with bits of fantasy. Kate Moses' Wintering, marketed as a "novel of Sylvia Plath", compliments The Bell Jar with the literary equivalent of a dramatized biographical documentary. For those new to Plath's writing, I recommend reading Wintering and then venturing on to The Bell Jar if you're so inclined.
Moses' innovative use of the loosely biographical novel avoids the dreaded attention-seeking feel of much writing marketed as "modern" or "new". There are two narratives, both close third person, which follow Plath and her two children (and occasionally her separated husband) through their move from the English countryside back to London, and through Plath's psychological struggles. One of the narratives takes place a few years before the other, and the chapters--spaced a few months apart--can be hard to follow if you don't pay close attention to the dates.
The novel opens with the chapter heading "Morning Song"; December 12, 1962; 5:30 AM; London. "Morning Song" is the first poem in Plath's collection of poems Ariel, and Moses uses the title of each poem as her chapter titles. In Wintering, the author uses the double narrative of past and present to recreate Plath's past and keep it relevant with the tumultuous events in her present, after she separated from her husband and moved to London with her two small children. The present narrative focuses on the creative and maternal aspects of Plath's life as well as her depression, deftly bridging the gap between reader and subject as the story develops. After her suicide, the novel explores her husband Ted Hughes' response to her death as well as his posthumous handling of her writing, providing sensitive commentary that's even more indicative of their relationship than the dynamic between the two while Plath was alive.
Wintering follows the stress and instability surrounding suicide in a way that's accessible to the reader, using a writing style that excellently compliments Plath's own voice. Moses sensitively portrays the much-explored anguish of the writer through a new angle; her deftly written description creates a vivid portrayal of Plath's life and the people surrounding her, giving readers an sense of intimate emotional connection with the characters.
Originally published under Plath's pseudonym Victoria Lucas, The Bell Jar follows Esther, a young woman visiting New York on a writing-related internship. The novel is in close first person, describing Esther's external experiences as well as her reactions and musings. For the first part of the book, we follow the progression of gatherings, dinner parties, and dances; we become familiar with Esther's personality through her relationships to the other characters in the story. She often emulates other girls at the program, from the sarcastic and uninhibited Doreen to the mild, Pollyanna-esque Betsy, and through the contrast in the personalities she explores we get a sense of her emotional uncertainty and confusion. After the program ends and she returns home to the Boston suburbs, her instability is amplified by her boredom and lack of stimulation; a bell jar of listlessness descends on Esther, who's portrayed helplessly through the onset of her depression. The focus on the role of women, explored through focus on the female characters, is further discussed in the contrast between Esther's two psychotherapists, the male Doctor Gordon and female Doctor Nolan. After a traumatic experience with shock treatments, Esther is checked into a mental hospital, where she's put under the care of Doctor Nolan. The new doctor focuses on building a secure relationship with Esther, emphasizing communication and promising Esther that she'll know about her treatments ahead of time. Esther spends some time at the hospital, learning to be more at peace with herself as different treatments help to lift her depression. The end of the story is more ambiguous than a stereotypical happy ending, leaving the final tone of the book to the reader's discrepancy.
The two books are similar in voice; although Wintering is more dense and obviously descriptive than The Bell Jar, there are parallels between Esther and Plath's personality that are beautifully explored between the two stories. Both deal with depression, mental stability, and self-perception, and the characters have startlingly modern outlooks on life when compared to other women of their time period. I'd recommend both books for ages 15 and up--there are darker themes as well as complex language, and even older readers may need to take a break from the stories.
Other books you might enjoy: Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson; Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska, by John Green; and Romancing Miss Bronte, by Juliet Gael.
Happy Reading!
M Gabrielle
