The Bell Jar
Reading Playlist

The Bell Jar

by Sylvia Plath

This playlist captures the haunting and melancholic journey of Esther Greenwood in "The Bell Jar." The instrumental tracks create a nocturnal, introspective atmosphere that mirrors the novel's emotional depth and descent into mental turmoil, using sparse arrangements and subtle textures to evoke solitude and fragility. The vocal selections reflect key thematic elements like isolation, identity, and emotional conflict, providing lyrical insight into Esther's psyche and the 1950s cultural backdrop.

44 tracks
melancholic
Jun 12, 2026
Open in Spotify
BookTuning

My current read sounds like...

The Bell Jar
melancholic reading mix

The Bell Jar

by Sylvia Plath

Soundtrack sample
Hear my book soundtrack booktun.ing

Story card

Share a story-ready soundtrack card

A 9:16 image for Instagram Stories, TikTok, or Reels. It shows your book cover, reading mood, and one soundtrack sample; post it with the playlist link so friends can listen or make their own.

Current read: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Format 9:16 story image
Includes Cover, mood, sample
Link Share with playlist URL

For Instagram or TikTok, save the card and add the copied playlist link as a sticker or caption.

Track List

44 songs
0
( ) [2022 Remaster]

Untitled #9 - Smáskifa 1

Sigur Rós · ( ) [2022 Remaster]

1
The Leftovers: Season 1 (Music from the HBO Series)

The Departure

Max Richter · The Leftovers: Season 1 (Music from the HBO Series)

2
In A Time Lapse

Experience

Ludovico Einaudi · In A Time Lapse

3
Life As A House (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Building A Family

Mark Isham · Life As A House (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

4
Copland: Appalachian Spring; Lincoln Portrait; Fanfare; Rodeo, etc.

Quiet City

Aaron Copland · Copland: Appalachian Spring; Lincoln Portrait; Fanfare; Rodeo, etc.

5
CREATURES

APHELION

Heliosphere · CREATURES

6
Horizon

Horizon

Maxence Cyrin · Horizon

7
12 Songs From Home

Elegy For The Arctic

Ludovico Einaudi · 12 Songs From Home

8
Weaving Worlds

Whisper

Lisa Lynne · Weaving Worlds

9
Film Music 1980 - 2001

Time Lapse

Michael Nyman · Film Music 1980 - 2001

10
Aventine

The Curse

Agnes Obel · Aventine

11
The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place

First Breath After Coma

Explosions In The Sky · The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place

12
Islands - Essential Einaudi

I Giorni

Ludovico Einaudi · Islands - Essential Einaudi

13
Wintermusik

Ambre

Nils Frahm · Wintermusik

14
Preludes, Airs And Yodels (A Penguin Cafe Primer)

Perpetuum Mobile

Penguin Cafe Orchestra · Preludes, Airs And Yodels (A Penguin Cafe Primer)

15
Healing Is A Miracle

Healing Is A Miracle

Julianna Barwick · Healing Is A Miracle

16
The Campfire Headphase

Dayvan Cowboy

Boards of Canada · The Campfire Headphase

17
The Ambient Zone Just Music Cafe Vol 4

Weightless

Marconi Union · The Ambient Zone Just Music Cafe Vol 4

18
Piano and Cello Duet

Song for Sienna

Brian Crain · Piano and Cello Duet

19
Shimmering Lights

Shimmering Lights

Sound Nomaden · Shimmering Lights

20
The Hours (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Hours

Philip Glass · The Hours (Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack)

21
Lost Cargo

Night Owl - 2014

Galimatias · Lost Cargo

22
Mozart: Requiem Realisations

Requiem, K. 626: Lacrimosa

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart · Mozart: Requiem Realisations

23
Preludes, Airs And Yodels (A Penguin Cafe Primer)

Music For A Found Harmonium

Patrick Street · Preludes, Airs And Yodels (A Penguin Cafe Primer)

24
Dive

Elegy

Tycho · Dive

25
ANIMA

Dawn Chorus

Thom Yorke · ANIMA

26
Lumiere

Opus 55

Dustin O'Halloran · Lumiere

27
re:member

saman

Ólafur Arnalds · re:member

28
The Theory of Everything (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

A Model of the Universe

Jóhann Jóhannsson · The Theory of Everything (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

29
here for the night

late night walking

Rustique Beats · here for the night

30
Continuum

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

John Mayer · Continuum

31
Strange Trails

The Night We Met

Lord Huron · Strange Trails

32
Solar Spectrum

Solar Ascent

Helios Open Frequency · Solar Spectrum

33
Classic

Adagio for Strings

Samuel Barber · Classic

34
Philip Glass: Piano Works

Glassworks: Opening

Philip Glass · Philip Glass: Piano Works

35
Greatest Hits

Lullaby

The Cure · Greatest Hits

36
shrines

lofticries

Purity Ring · shrines

37
Adagio in G Minor

Adagio in G Minor

Tomaso Albinoni · Adagio in G Minor

38
Talkie Walkie

Alone in Kyoto

Air · Talkie Walkie

39
Der Bote

In a Landscape

John Cage · Der Bote

40
Arvo Pärt: Portrait

Spiegel im spiegel

Arvo Pärt · Arvo Pärt: Portrait

41
snowfall

snowfall

Øneheart · snowfall

42
Light Through Leaves

Pale Blue

Soothing Oasis · Light Through Leaves

43
Magical Moments

Luminary

Dravelyn · Magical Moments

Playlist Settings

Mood melancholic
Genre match
Era match
Length long
Instrumental 80%
Environment night

Create your own

Customize the mood, genre and length for The Bell Jar and generate a fresh playlist.

Customize Your Playlist

The Bell Jar · Sylvia Plath

All Lyrical All Instrumental

Discover more

More playlists like this

Book soundtracks with a similar Poetry feel, ready for your next session.

All Poetry playlists
Cover of Dracula. (1897) Novel by Bram Stoker (Original Classics)

Dracula. (1897) Novel by Bram Stoker (Original Classics)

by Bram Stoker

View soundtrack
Cover of Ship of Spells

Ship of Spells

by H. Leighton Dickson

View soundtrack
Cover of I've Been Called a Poet

I've Been Called a Poet

by Miranda Connaughton-Kerr, Brock Connaughton

View soundtrack
Cover of The Bell Jar

The Bell Jar

by Sylvia Plath

View soundtrack