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tinynobody's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
That being said it is actually a pretty good book I was afraid I'd find it boring as it's not the usual kind of book I read
Of course the book is old so some subject matters are quite dated in the aslyum and whatnot
But for what it's worth it's pretty good
Personally I have a few iffy feelings on the asylum parts so it's not a full 5 star read but it was really close
Graphic: Racial slurs, Ableism, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Medical trauma, Self harm, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Vomit, Suicide, and Antisemitism
Minor: Religious bigotry
pixieless's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, and Confinement
sunny_not's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Alcohol
avawest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
hermamora's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, and Sexism
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment
eleanoremartin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
bill369's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My favourite character is Doctor Nolan, she helped Esther and seems like a nice person with good intentions. She was more of a side character, therefore I don't know that much about her, but she is bright, open-minded and professional.
It was interesting to read about someone with mental health issues from that period, it helped me make a better picture of what it was like back then. I liked the descriptions and Esther's thought process. It just all made sense. It amazed me how well the author managed the transition from an ambitious and quite lively woman to a suicidal, numb, rather careless and tired woman. It all happens slowly and so it all blends in well. Reading this book made me feel more literate.
The part of the book I liked the most was when Esther was in Belsize, however, there are lines throughout the whole book which I would like to share. On page 54 are lines that hit a bit too close to home. There's nothing else needed to be said.
picture of a man who would love me passionately the minute he
met me, and all out of a few prosy nothings. A duty tour of the
UN and a post-UN sandwich!
On page 77 Plath compares her life to a green fig tree.
a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a
husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a
famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and
another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig
was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was
Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers
with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was
an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these
figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out.
I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree,
starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind
which of the figs I would choose.
of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I
sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go
black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.
On pages 123 and 124 Plath describes how insomnia made Esther tired of living.
series of bright, white boxes, and separating one box from
another was sleep, like a black shade. Only for me, the long
perspective of shades that set off one box from the next had
suddenly snapped up, and I could see day after day after day
glaring ahead of me like a white, broad, infinitely desolate
avenue.
It seemed silly to wash one day when I would only
have to wash again the next.
It made me tired just to think of it.
I wanted to do everything once and for all and be
through with it.
On page 141 Plath shows how pressured Esther felt by the world.
Doesn’t your work interest you, Esther?
You know, Esther, you’ve got the perfect setup of
a true neurotic.
You’ll never get anywhere like that, you’ll never
get anywhere like that, you’ll never get anywhere like that.
On page 177 we can see how numb Esther became.
couldn’t feel a thing. If Mrs. Guinea had given me a ticket to
Europe, or a round-the-world cruise, it wouldn’t have made one
scrap of difference to me, because wherever I sat--on the deck
of a ship or at a street cafe in Paris or Bangkok--I would be
sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour
air.
I usually dislike the open ending, but in this book I welcomed it. It felt right. I hope she will only be better from that point on.
The book is well written and all, but it's not a five star for me. I didn't cry and I didn't connect to the characters. That probably isn't the author's fault. The book is just old. I did like it quite a bit though.
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Lesbophobia, and Grief
bleuplein's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Self harm, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
alannadoucette8's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
irisreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt