Take a photo of a barcode or cover
calarco 's review for:
I often struggle with the ethics of reading works published posthumously, especially in cases where the author suffered from mental illness. Where is the line between exploitative commercialization and just wanting to engage with the limited resources left behind by a brilliant mind? I feel like this is worth mentioning before summarizing that Sylvia Plath’s [b:Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams: Short Stories, Prose and Diary Excerpts|11628|Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams Short Stories, Prose and Diary Excerpts|Sylvia Plath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1166483127l/11628._SY75_.jpg|2015211] is a solid collection of short stories.
While not as polished as [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554582218l/6514._SY75_.jpg|1385044] and variable in quality across the collection, this work is quintessential Plath. Her internal strife is palpable and laid bare on the page. Characters can be cruel and their actions can be confounding. This whole collection kept reminding me of Jim Morrison’s lyrics, “People are strange when you’re a stranger, Faces look ugly when you’re alone.” (Incidentally, The Doors made for great background music while reading this, but I digress.) When someone is suffering, and they receive little to no support for their condition, it’s hard not to have an edgy outlook. Worse yet though, is when the treatment is inherently malign.
In the titular Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, the reality of Plath’s deteriorating mental interior is revealed in dreamlike fashion, as the story delves into the realities of electroshock “therapy.” Only the surreal can accurately detail pain too cruel to otherwise convey, and I feel does offer an authentic window into an unhappy picture. These stories in general were likely all impacted by different “treatments” Plath received, if not by the deteriorating condition itself. This would explain the lack of polish, but also the poignancy of the collection’s punch.
Overall, I still have to recommend The Bell Jar if you are new to Plath, but if you feel a pressing need to read more from her mind, then this is a solid option to choose after the fact.
Rating: 3.5 stars
While not as polished as [b:The Bell Jar|6514|The Bell Jar|Sylvia Plath|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554582218l/6514._SY75_.jpg|1385044] and variable in quality across the collection, this work is quintessential Plath. Her internal strife is palpable and laid bare on the page. Characters can be cruel and their actions can be confounding. This whole collection kept reminding me of Jim Morrison’s lyrics, “People are strange when you’re a stranger, Faces look ugly when you’re alone.” (Incidentally, The Doors made for great background music while reading this, but I digress.) When someone is suffering, and they receive little to no support for their condition, it’s hard not to have an edgy outlook. Worse yet though, is when the treatment is inherently malign.
In the titular Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, the reality of Plath’s deteriorating mental interior is revealed in dreamlike fashion, as the story delves into the realities of electroshock “therapy.” Only the surreal can accurately detail pain too cruel to otherwise convey, and I feel does offer an authentic window into an unhappy picture. These stories in general were likely all impacted by different “treatments” Plath received, if not by the deteriorating condition itself. This would explain the lack of polish, but also the poignancy of the collection’s punch.
Overall, I still have to recommend The Bell Jar if you are new to Plath, but if you feel a pressing need to read more from her mind, then this is a solid option to choose after the fact.
Rating: 3.5 stars