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diedaahh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
1. the fig tree analogy
2. I was told we were following a journalist MC (relatable)
3. I'm trying to read more classics
Jesus Christ did I hate this.
Esther is an absolute asshole all the way throughout. I was warned for problematic language, but her dedication to insulting every other character was something else. Being stuck in her head was incredibly unpleasant for me. And that's not because I don't like reading from a villain/unlikable POV. As long as the story makes me understand WHY a character turned out this way, I like a good villain POV.
I simply felt like Esther's bitterness towards literally everyone wasn't warranted whatsoever.
White women claiming this is feminist literature or even admitting that they relate to Esther terrify me and will be avoided at all costs.
Also fun fact: this was the second physical book I bought since getting an e-reader (the other one being: her body and other parties) and I HATED both books. I think the universe is trying to tell me something.
Almost put me in a reading slump, should've DNF'ed, Beya Rabaï why did u lead me astray with your gorgeous cover design.
Graphic: Fatphobia and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Body shaming
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, Dysphoria, Body horror, Blood, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness
Minor: Racism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Medical content, Incest, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Rape, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Sexual content
lucakocsis's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
Then my ears went funny, and I noticed a big, smudgy-eyed Chinese woman staring idiotically into my face. It was only me, of course.
I'm not sure why it is, but I love food more than just about anything else. No matter how much I eat, I never put on weight.
Avocados are my favourite fruit.
I hate technicolour. Everybody in a technicolour movie seems to feel obliged to wear a lurid new costume in each new scene and to stand around like a clothes-horse with a lot of very green trees or very yellow wheat or very blue ocean rolling away for miles and miles in every direction.
I was so busy thinking how very fat he was and how unfortunate it must be for a man and especially a young man to be fat, because what woman could stand leaning over that big stomach to kiss him, that it didn't immediately realize what this student had said to me was an insult.
'Well what do you say?'
' I said Gladys was free, white and twenty-one.'
I thought the TB (tuberculosis) might just be a punishment for living the kind of double life Buddy lived and feeling so superior to people.
He could almost have been an American, he was so tan and had such good teeth, but I could tell straight away that he wasn't.
I'd always spoil what I did so nobody would ask me to do it again.
She was a fat, middle-aged woman with dyed red hair and suspiciously thick lips and rat-coloured skin
But everything concave about Buddy had suddenly turned convex. A pot belly swelled under the thight white nylon shirt and his cheeks were round and ruddy as marzipan fruit. Even his laugh sounded plump.
'He's from Peru.'
'They're squat,' I said. 'They're ugly as aztecs.'
The face in the mirror looked like a sick Indian.
My grey suitcase rode on the rack over my head, empty except for The Thirty Best Short Stories of the Year, a white plastic sunglasses case and two dozen avocado pears, a parting present from Doreen.
I peered at him from the corner of my eye. He didn't look a day over sixteen.
'Do you know how old I am?' I said accusingly. The sailor grinned at me. 'Nope, and I don't care either.' It occurred to me that this sailor was really remarkably handsome. He looked Nordic and virginal.
Once, on a hot summer night, I had spent an hour kissing a hairy, ape-shaped law student form Yale because I felt sorry for him, he was so ugly.
His name was Cal, which I thought must be short for something, but I couldn't think what it would be short for, unless it was California.
Then I rode from the table, passing round to the side where the nurse couldn't see me below the waist, and behind the negro, who was clearing the dirty plates. I drew my foot back and gave him a sharp, hard kick on the calf of the leg.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Excrement
lillianreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I loved the metaphors of the fig tree and the bell jar and the overall writing style felt very accessible.
If you want to get into reading classics The Bell Jar definitely is a good place to start.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape, Vomit, and Suicide
Minor: Racial slurs
icvelx's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
ashgalwoah's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Despite this being a story about mental health and suicide, Plath maintains poetic and comedic language, making it an enjoyable read rather than a depressing one.
I couldn’t help but think of the social understanding or tolerance towards mental health and Suicide when reading The Bell Jar, when this book was written and first came out, Suicide was more taboo than it is now, I assume this made the mundane story more interesting at the time. To me it was relatable and something I was uncomfortably numb to.
This book is outdated and a bit racist, no question there, and follows a story of an upper middle class white woman. There’s room for improvement!
Graphic: Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
alexrosecandle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racial slurs and Injury/Injury detail
intofolkloreee's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Racism, and Suicide
beetdirt's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
annahollamby's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Classism, Antisemitism, and Homophobia