See moreFirst published by Faber in 1966, The Bell Jar is today considered a twentieth-century classic, loved by readers across the world. Our new Collectors’ Edition has been lovingly designed and crafted for Faber Members, with beautifully printed endpapers and a stunning front cover that has taken the original 1966 iconic ‘concentric circles’ cover image (designed by Shirley Tucker) and given it a vibrant contemporary twist.
Like all our Faber Members Collectors’ editions, The Bell Jar has been printed on premium woodfree paper using the traditional lithographic method on a small Heidelberg press. Each book is sewn and bound by hand, using a quarter-bound case of real cloth and printed panels front and back, featuring foil blocking and matt lamination. The books are finished with full colour printed endpapers, head and tail bands and a ribbon marker.
The Bell Jar is Sylvia Plath’s only novel and was originally published under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. It is partially based on Plath’s own life and descent into mental illness. The Bell Jar has been celebrated for its darkly funny and razor sharp portrait of 1950s society and has sold millions of copies worldwide.