Reviews

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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thearcher_piets's review against another edition

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4.75

"I would rather have anything wrong with my body than something wrong with my head"

teeinthebooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

aaggagagagsgyxuzjagsyskzb!!!!! to tak boli!!! przepiękna, cudowna książka. sylvia plath tak prawdziwie i dobrze i mocno i poetycko opisała depresje, uczucie braku przyszłości, postaw i zatracenie. wszystkie metafory byly takie dokładne; ciągle myślę o tym drzewie figowym... największym bólem w tej ksiazce było uświadomienie sobie, że jest semi-autobiograficzna. pomimo mojej miłości, nie mogę polecić tej książki, wpędziła mnie w bardzo przykry nastrój. ma mocne opisy depresji, prób samobójczych i opieki klinicznej.

arcadyarten's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-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

4.0

soap04's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-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

3.5

It was okay… i feel i went into it expecting more so was disappointed by all there was.

Content Warnings

murderousscottishgremlin's review against another edition

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dark 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

3.5

Plath's lyrical prose really appeals to me but I found this book difficult to read both due to the heavy topics it handles and the casual racism. I can understand the appeal of this book and the well-deserved praise it's received throughout the years, but it also just felt like something something I would've loved at 13.

Content Warnings

graciegrace1178's review against another edition

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4.0

4.4 stars
Susana Cahalan's Brain on Fire meets The Great Gatsby meets... Robert Cormier's I Am The Cheese meets Flowers for Algernon... yea I think that about sums it up. In short: UH WHAT????!

PT: Rory Gilmore challenge, classics, short books, books that I would finish in a single sitting if given the opportunity, books that probably will end up fundamentally altering my life in the near future

WIL
1) relatable protagoni-oh. Esther in THE FIRST HALF is probably the most relatable protagonist I've ever had the pleasure of getting to know. She's a bit reserved but still open to new experiences and utterly perplexed by her classmates who are not cautious. She wants to have the College Experience but is not naturally inclined towards such experiences. She is deeply uncertain of her future but wants to find something she loves and can do well. She's constantly aware of her position relative to others- ad nauseam really. Just. Holy moly. I normally use this as a joke, but here I mean it from the bottom of my heart: MOOD.

2) Esther in the second half. Whatever you might say about the tone and ah,,, implications of Esther in the second half (see WIDLs), her character evolution itself was seamless and remarkably lifelike.

3) among the more readable classics. Wouldja believe it! An American classic and it's NOT pretentious! Wow! Had no idea there were books out there that fit that criteria!! So cool!!! I would recommend this to people but uh... (see neutral ground)

4)Plath is a genius. The rhythm of her writing is unlike anything I've ever read. It's still got its share of subtle nuances that'll be the inspiration for countless Ph.D. theses, but it's identifiable enough to the layman that the whole book is just... accessible. Accessible, lyrical, profound, and impactful. How many classics can say that they so move the general population and the experts alike? This is just revolutionary. In a league of its own.. god dare I rate this five stars???

WIDL
1) ahahahahahahaha yikes. I didn't know what to expect going into this. I read nothing about it prior to actually opening the book, and BOY was that a shock. I uh. Wasn't ready for that at all. Something to be said for literature that genuinely surprises its readers (but still follows a discernible, literary track/arc) but this was a bit much for me. Just a few shades too dark. And yea this is only one WIDL, but this is the reason it's 4 stars rather than 5. I don't like using this phrase, but really had a lot of triggers in this.

NEUTRAL GROUND
1) this is one of those books you really can't recommend to people on the basis of relatable characters alone. Like yea, was Esther one of the most relatable characters ever? yes. Very decidedly so. But I can't very well recommend this to other people by saying "wow you're gonna love Esther. She's just like you!" bc that's how you lose friends fast. It's not a WIDL exactly but it bugs me. I loved this book and I want to tell everyone I know they should read it but it's such a mess at the end.