I keep reading these books that I think are sad, that made me sad, that I still think are rather sad. This book took that further. This book's account of clinical depression is unflinching and unbearably real. The slow process of shutting out everyone in your life, the long walks alone, the thoughts that nothing will ever, ever get better, the complete lack of interest in a life that many others would love to have, the frustration of not wanting nor being able to tell others how you are feeling. All of this is experienced and narrated by Esther Greenberg, the main character (based on Plath's own life). The narration is not completely stoic, but also uses description, literary devices, and wit in order to convey what it has to say. This book is not trying to get you to feel something, it is telling you about how someone feels. 
 On top of this, Esther must contend with the stifling, oppressive, sexist nature of society, constantly stopping her wherever she went with a lack of opportunities, double standards (such as the concept of "purity"), and abuse. This society puts her down wherever she goes, and her deep dissatisfaction with the life that has been planned for her runs throughout the novel. 
 These dual pressures gradually weigh on her more and more, and the novel tells the story of how that happens, and how she tries to recover. The middle section of the novel, when she is at her lowest low, is almost unbearable, and is told with such clarity and insight that I'm not sure I'll see a more honest or well-crafted account of these kinds of feelings. 
 I actually didn't know anything about Sylvia Plath when I picked this book up. It didn't take long for me to read about her life and history, and just how autobiographical this novel is. It only makes sense that it would be. I don't think someone could write so convincingly, unaffectedly, and without any kind of self-pity about the feelings that Esther has about her future and her depression without having gone through it herself. 
 I'm not sure how relatable or relevant it will feel to someone who has not felt these kind of feelings before, or someone who has never really tried to understand, let alone experienced, the horror of society and its sexism. It may seem utterly tiresome and distasteful that someone with such privileges in life could feel so down all the time; the character may be viewed as selfish, narcissistic, weak, whiny. And to those of us living as a part of the privileged majority in what we feel is a more "enlightened" society than the one Plath describes, her struggles with finding opportunity and feeling shut out by the world and all of its closed doors may feel antiquated. 
 But I think there is so much in this book, and it is written so beautifully that I think everyone would take notice. It illuminates these issues in a blinding light that is impossible to ignore. It is a courageous novel, and not just because of the time at which it was written. It is an honest novel. It's a novel that makes me want to stand up and applaud Sylvia Plath for her vision, for her artistry, and for her strength.