Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

900 reviews

joe_lan08's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Self harm

georgie_libby_m's review against another edition

dark funny 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Racism

jkandert2's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide

wrennova123's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

I think that Sylvia Plath’s portrayal of the struggle with mental illness was beautifully done. Her writing is blunt, straightforward and hard-hitting, and thus the novel expresses sensitive topics very directly. 
I particularly loved the fig analogy and the symbol of the bell jar to represent the experience of mental illness. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

sjhonarvar's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

I really struggled with how to rate & review this—I’ve never had such complicated, heavy feelings about a book, honestly. I understand now why this is such a masterpiece, but I also understand why my friends begged me not to read it (lol sorry girls). I feel like I needed this, but it also kept me up at night & made me feel a lil crazy. The duality goes so crazy on this one, fr. Also, Sylvia—the racism is a big no from me (it really took away from my experience of the book). Final thought is that the fig tree will live rent-free in my mind for the rest of my days. Wowie wow wow.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Rape, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Self harm

labhaoise4'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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

maiaiaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

meagwhalen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book. It was a tough read for me mentally and emotionally, but a truly superb novel. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

ellislock's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

 Beautiful prose, but without being too challenging. While the treatment of mental illness, women, and race is all clearly of its time, the journey of Esther through her mental illness is still profoundly relatable. 
Some favourite quotes:

“‘What does a woman see in a woman that she can’t see in a man?’ … ‘Tenderness.’”
“But they were part of me. They were my landscape.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Self harm

badassmarshmallow's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Suicide