Reviews with content warning for Lesbophobia - The Bell Jar

I have been wanting to read the bell jar for a while and I’m so glad I finally did!

That being said, although I’m glad I read the book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. Personally, I thought it was pretty slow moving and there wasn’t anything that really kept me engaged. It took me a lot longer to read the book than I though it would. There weren’t cliff hangers and there was only one major moment that kept me at the edge of my seat. The writing was beautiful. There’s a reason why this book is a classic. I annotated so much of this book simply because I liked how so much of it was written. This may be a controversial opinion, but I thought this novel was an excellent depiction of how women’s mental health was treated in the late 50s/early 60s. I thought our character was raw and real. However, she’s also a privileged, pretentious cynic which can be annoying and difficult for a lot of readers. This book definitely had me confused and rolling my eyes at some points while really amazing me at others.

Content Warnings

carlota00's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

3.5

Content Warnings

buffy87's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

2.0

Damn, why did nobody tell me how fucking racist/Orientalist this book is? It is a great text for postcolonial analysis...you will find something in almost every chapter. There was a stretch in the middle that didn't have palpable racism and that was the only section I thought was okay. Nice to read without being assaulted.

If you read this from a Marxist lens, you'll see it full of classism and very quickly realize that your main character is privileged.
It also has your run of the mill sexism and homophobia.

All of the above made the reading experience so utterly unejoyable and triggering.

Content Warnings

sofipitch's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

One of my favorite books of all time, not just bc it captures what it is like to have depression but the logic of it, how your arguments feel logical bc the world sucks so why go on? This was my 3rd or 4th reread

Content Warnings

plantdog30's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed this book as someone whose had mental health struggles, but even in a normal state there are things I relate to. It's easy to empathize with the emotions Esther feels because the writing is so immersive. Generally, this book is interesting as it has insight into how mental health was treated at the time as well as simply the experience of a young woman faced with an undetermined future. I would've given this book 5 stars but there are times the main character is just irritating and plain racist, with the n word being said numerous times in a single chapter. Overall though, it was definitely intriguing and captivating, especially with such great writing.

Content Warnings

More...