Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

188 reviews

venice_the_vampire's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

i really appreciated and related to the idea of always being the perfect student but not being considered useful or smart in any way outside of that and having no idea what to when when you get out of school. i also found the insight onto how being a mentally ill woman in my grand & great-grandmothers time was, especially considering my own family history. it may not be my favorite book, but i still appreciate it for what it is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Racism, Ableism, and Violence

Minor: Sexual content

akmatz's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• 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

4.25

Excellent work of character creation, and displays the confinement of 1950 society as well as traditional female roles. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Vomit and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide

alyssams884's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body shaming, Blood, Racism, Sexism, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Sexual content, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Medical content

_meganrose'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

4.0

The fig tree analogy is one of the most beautifully depicted things I have ever read.

Beautifully written and to know this was heavily inspired by her life is absolutely chilling - probably why she was able to paint such painful things so accurately.

Could have done without the blatant racism in this and the fatphobia. In many ways, this book was ahead of its time. But in those ways? It absolutely was not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Drug use, Medical content, Death of parent, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racism, and Physical abuse

minou_noir's review against another edition

dark hopeful 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

3.0

Um...Idk. It's a classic obviously, but I'm not particularly a fan...

The main character was a little annoying, but I kind of like her as well. It was a difficult read tho.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Medical trauma

Moderate: Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Esther Greenwood is 19 when she wins a writing competition in 1953, and she gets to work at a fashion magazine in New York for a month. She sees it as her chance to fulfill her dream of being a writer. But Esther's life is soon spiralling out of control. 

The Bell Jar was Sylvia Plath's only novel, and it was first published in 1963 under the pseudonym Victoria Lucas. One month after the publication Plath ended her life. The book is semi-autobiographical, as it is partially based on her own life. Despite dealing with depression and suicide attempts I don't find the novel altogether dark. It's quite interesting, and brilliantly narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal. I started and finished the book on the same day!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

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

samcsmith's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Misogyny, Racism, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Vomit, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

donotswearbythemoon's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Medical content, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment