Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

82 reviews

sashabaker177's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This book lulls you into a false sense of security. Esther initially seems sardonic, judgemental and disconnected as she spends the summer in New York, but her thoughts become increasingly dark and her narration appears ever less reliable. The final act is a terrifying and viscerally detailed portrayal of mid-century mental healthcare. Knowing the author's fate the ending feels ominous rather than hopeful. My only criticism of the book would be that at times the character expresses racist and homophobic sentiments, which later on in the book feel integrated with her break with reality, but earlier on at times feel like the author's prejudices seeping through. To be expected with a book this old, but nonetheless a little jarring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Vomit, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, and Medical trauma

Minor: Chronic illness, Gore, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

haileyeh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Blood, Suicide attempt, Violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Sexual content, Misogyny, Vomit, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Fatphobia

panache's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

fucking excellent

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Self harm

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Blood

alex_emilia_smith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexism, Self harm, Body shaming, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Alcohol, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny

star_witch's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexual assault, and Medical content

Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, and Racial slurs

stbetsy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Lesbophobia

aloy's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Medical content, and Medical trauma

gilnean's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Ableism, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Self harm, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Xenophobia, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, and Vomit

Minor: Child death, Terminal illness, Cancer, Cursing, Bullying, Xenophobia, Excrement, Animal death, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Antisemitism

sheshallbenamed's review against another edition

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Racial slurs, Fatphobia, and Suicide attempt

bookcentipede's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This book left me thinking about it after. There were many times when I did not like the partly biographical character, specifically because of the racist aspects of writing at points. Which despite the time period of writing has to be acknowledged because before reading, no one mentioned it. 

And because of the scathing descriptions of friends, family and herself however I think this gives a very real portrait of the experience of depression for a woman like Plath in the 1960’s.

I admire it’s candidacy and awareness of its unlikeableness and believe this book is essential for understanding the world through a lense of what depression can be like.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Racism, Self harm, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Grief