Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

274 reviews

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

callmeminoe's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicidal thoughts

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

nicoleanthony's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Racism, and Self harm

Minor: Homophobia

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

isabezza's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

It is astonishing that a novel about mental illness and the position of women in the 1950s spoke to me so deeply as a reader in 2023. Perhaps I should not have read this book as someone who has experienced suicide in the family and been admitted to hospital for mental illness, but ultimately I have never read a book which represents that experience so explicitly. I am grateful the systems have changed and the horrors Plath and others may have faced in the name of psychology are devastating to think of. Yet her writing described their society so eloquently that I could not put it down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Torture, Medical content, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Death

withlivjones's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

I get the hype with this book, it’s a very powerful and well-written read and the quintessential sad girl novel. Plath’s writing voice was truly ahead of its time in the way the she is able to so clearly describe the experience of being on the brink of leaving education and not knowing what to do with one’s life. As a fairly recent graduate with no life plans, I related to Esther a lot. 

There were definitely some parts of the book that dragged a little; just from hearing about the plot I wasn’t expecting Esther’s trip to New York to end so early into the book. Furthermore, there is So Much casual racism just thrown in, and I get that the book was written decades ago but it was still unnecessary and disruptive to the reading experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Medical content, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexism, Fatphobia, Blood, and Homophobia

cecilialau_'s review against another edition

4.0

There are sort of two parts to this story. Not really what I thought it would be but fascinating nonetheless. I defo recommend checking the content warnings for any triggers as there are quite a lot that is discussed/showcased.
Esther is a deeply real/emotional/hurt/traumatised and interesting character who is more and more obviously going through dread and is disillusioned about life, but I found it very well-done how she herself goes through the motions of her state of mind. There are glimpses here and there but she seems shut off from herself.
A few things happen I would have liked more details about (mainly later on) but they don’t affect the rating/experience. And I also want to add that I admire the way that it is implied rather than spelled out how Esther gets to where she does mentally and emotionally (bc body and mind are connected) and how the change happens gradually and inconspicuously (which is quite realistic).
The book is very well-written apart from some stereotypical language use here and there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Grief, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt