Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

315 reviews

_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

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

marika_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racial slurs 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

lui037's review against another edition

sad tense 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

0.5

I can see why this book was necessary for the conversation on mental health but the racism not even 7 pages into the book and just the terrible protagonist. It’s a no from me, curious why certain folks relate and love this so much. (That is not to negate that some very real and relatable themes/experiences were expressed but I just disliked the way it was done and Esther’s calculatedness.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Death, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

ennyl's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Iconic. I wish I had read this earlier, in my late teens or early 20s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Blood, and Medical trauma

Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Suicide

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

avawetherall's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape, Misogyny, Suicide, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

ella43688's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Death, Blood, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt