Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

65 reviews

maddycdraper's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racial slurs

Minor: Eating disorder

tessjx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Vomit

kia_y_k's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective relaxing 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

_lara_'s review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

4.0

This is an upsetting book, and one that makes you reflect on your own perception of mental health. How should a person with mental health struggles act? And what does the way you interpret Esther’s own journey with her mental health struggles say about you? 

In terms of the writing, I thought that the story unfolded rather quickly at times. Certain events (the diamond guy at the party) never get mentioned again. And it wasn’t as introspective of a piece as I thought. Rather, it dealt with the perception of mental health, both as it concerns the main character and people in her life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide

Moderate: Eating disorder, Racism, and Antisemitism

bennoyb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

rowanelisa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

hallenoelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I have always been deeply interested in the idea of the “mad woman” and how has society treats women with mental illnesses throughout history. The Bell Jar is a raw, disturbing, and realistic depiction of what so many women went through and why. The turn from the fun and youthful vibe at the beginning to the gut-wrenching plot twist had me captivated. I could not give this book 5 stars, however, because of the incomplete romance(ish) with Buddy Willard and because of how problematic this book is today. Not really a spoiler but warning anyway for the next sentence!

I hate when a character hates another character and we never find out why and that is exactly the case with Buddy and Esther

. This book has countless moments of racism that really took me out of the story and made me super uncomfortable. And lastly, please do not read this book unless you are POSITIVE you can handle it. It is full of triggers for those who have struggled with mental illness, grief, SA, EDs, and suicidal thoughts. Please read with caution - but if you are interested in women’s history and feminist literature I would recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

fleursreads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

it's a book you have to be in the right mental space to enjoy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ghoulette's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

thefigtree's review against another edition

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

4.0

feels like a book version of that game where one person draws a head and then folds the paper over and someone else draws a torso and folds that over until you've got a really bizarre miss-matching person

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit