Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

50 reviews

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I picked up a vintage copy of this book at a used bookstore because I have never read this classic play.
"Death of a Salesman" follows Willy Loman. Willy has been a salesman for 34 years, but now at sixty-years-old, he feels like he has been cast aside and has no usefulness left to contribute. He struggles with what to do with his life now, which is causing him to think about all of his past mistakes.
This play explores what it means to realize the "American dream" in a profound and moving way. Willy has worked hard his whole life and centered his life around his career, but did he do the right thing? Was it all worth it?
This story is not happy, and Willy teeters on the line of reality. The reader quickly learns that Willy is taking drastic action to change the course of his life.
I highly recommend this play, and I am intrigued to read more from Arthur Miller in the future.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

loz1327's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Dementia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent and Death

arcadering's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Car accident, and Death

literaryinluv's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

a haunting tale about a family's destruction at the hands of the american dream

2nd time reading

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Dementia, and Car accident

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Classism, Death of parent, and Suicide

Minor: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

randomstuff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

bettyemanee's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Took me a while to get used to the play format, but was very worth it. Really sad book, though 😔

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts

ailie28's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Willy Loman is a character embodiment of Donald Trump’s presidency

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

menomica's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

WILLY [turning on him now in an uncontrolled outburst]: I am not a dime a dozen! I am Willy Loman, and you are Biff Loman!

This play is so weird. I definitely think it would’ve been easier to appreciate as a play itself and not just the playbook (the score is pretty prominent throughout). There’s a lot happening and it switches time pretty often, so it’s a bit confusing sometimes to keep track of what’s going on.

Willy’s a looser!

I know the play literally ends with him dying by suicide he has depression throughout but still: LEWSER. 🤪

like he has this whole thing where he has to project power and charm and influence to make up for the fact that he very much does not have that. Like idk, the way he kind of goaded his sons to be dumb jocks?

the fact that he literally cheated on his wife

major looser behavior! His resentment towards others for being more successful than him? Dweebo!!
Linda was kinda sad cause she kept making excuses for her (cheating) man and I think that speaks to how wifes (especially of that era) we’re basically stuck with their husbands so they’d try to justify all their actions or whatever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Moderate: Dementia and Infidelity

Willy’s not officially diagnosed with dementia, but he does present enough symptoms to the degree where I deadass was like, oh he has dementia and they’re just not saying dementia cause it’s the 40’s and they don’t have the proper vocabulary to articulate this yet» So I’m putting the tw there for ppl who don’t want to read about someone heavily displaying symptoms of dementia

letiross's review against another edition

sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Suicide attempt

shieldbearer's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

God, this was a lot. This play is such a well done dissection of capitalism and the American work ethic- through a hyper specific lense, but it is a classic for a reason. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Infidelity

Moderate: Suicide attempt