Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

626 reviews

sharosuza's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Blood, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Rape, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Eating disorder

zzaakkiiyyaa's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Racism, Suicide, and Rape

katharinaamaliae's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

I was really looking forward to reading this book for a long time, so my expectations were high. Mostly, I wasn't disappointed. The writing was, of course, amazing and will always kind of stick with me, I think. Especially the fig tree analogy. That and a lot of other parts were just something I could relate to so much, and Sylvia Plath put it into words better than probably anybody else ever could. However, it still wasn't five stars for me, mostly because, even though I could relate to the main character, Esther, a lot she could also be insufferable and, of course, it were different times, but it's impossible for me to just overlook the racism and fat phobia in this book. 
I also want to add that it's really important to check trigger warnings before reading this and that it's definitely not an easy read, that can really impact your mental health.

I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart.
I am, I am, I am.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Suicide, Racism, Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Fatphobia

yeolliesutr's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs

stilestastic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Classism, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, Medical content, Racism, Body shaming, Addiction, Homophobia, and Racial slurs

samarareads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

2.0

While I can value a novel about the madding nature of the expectations and restrictions society places on women, my appreciation for The Bell Jar stops there. A lovely fig tree metaphor cannot make up for the derogatory characterisations that plague this book, especially given it was written in the middle of the civil rights movement. Perhaps I have simply read this novel too late to appreciate its significance because I cannot help but think of the many other writers who manage to explore mental distress, misogyny, suicide, and institutionalisation without succumbing to racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and so on. I simply cannot see myself in a story that fails to see the humanity in me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Racism

honipoems's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

it was a nice read but I don’t know how all of a sudden it became so dark talking about suicide and madness. at the beginning I was quite understanding of Ssther behavior but then she just became selfish and mean. it was a weird but nice read, I want to know more about the author life because I’m speechless

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Blood

abbivaux's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Violence and Alcohol

cvbazley's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Rape

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

e_milyking's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-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

3.5

Headnoise and spiralling if it were a book
I enjoyed the concepts and analogies in this book, and I think it played out some key pessimistic viewpoints but in a depressive way. Main criticism is that you can tell this book was written in the 60’s 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Racial slurs and Racism