Bell Jar, The – Sylvia Plath
NF/VG Book Club

For sale is a rare and exceptional first Book Club edition of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, in a new archival wrap. Book of the Month Club (BOMC) edition, with 1971 Harper& Row imprint on the copyright page and no subsequent copyright or publisher.  Presumed First BOMC Printing with 19M gutter code on page 307 which indicates a May 1971 printing. Same number of pages and same artwork as the true first edition.

The exterior of the book is in Near Fine condition, with clean, bright boards with a  few light spots and no BOMC dimple on the back. Also, strong title ink on a straight spine, lightly foxed page blocks, a tight binding, mild spine tilt, rolled spine ends, mild edge wear and two bumped corners. The interior of the book is also in Near Fine condition, with no marks, inscriptions, or any other signs of ownership. The end papers and the interior pages are clean and lightly toned, making it an excellent addition to any collection.

The dust jacket is in Very Good condition with mild surface wear, heavy edge wear, chips, and gaps on the top spine end. Also has Book Club edition stated on the front flap and the first issue design by Amy Ishey Duevell has survived better than most.  Looks great in a new archival sleeve. jacket

The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther’s breakdown with such intensity that Esther’s insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic.

Small volume ships promptly in a manila envelope, with the book wrapped in both craft paper and multiple layers of bubble wrap.