Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

314 reviews

vonya45's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

4.5

A gorgeous story that is at once hard to listen to, incredibly validating and sometimes surprisingly funny. The way Plath writes with a blend of matter-of-factness and poetic imagery is a treat, made even better by Maggie Gyllenhaal's perfect reading of the audiobook. But the real heart of the novel is its depiction of depression and the image of the bell jar, suffocating its inhabitant while distorting the surrounding world. I'm sure plenty of us can see some hints of our own experiences in these descriptions. It feels like talking to someone who feels the same way, you do but they finally put the feeling into words you couldn't find. Even the non-linear structure, which can sometimes be distracting or confusing, aids the feeling of being lost in the murky grayness of a depressed person's mind, recalling memories at random and spiraling in on itself with no hold on reality. As such, it might be a really bad book choice for someone who is not doing well mentally, especially once you know how Sylvia's own life ended after the book's final warning that the bell jar may return. For me, it was a heavy read but with enough wit and humor and style to keep from getting pulled down. I'm very glad I finally read this masterpiece.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Racism

Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, and Misogyny

Minor: Death of parent

jellygenie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

3.0

Writing was great, too sad, little character development and unlikeable MC, borderline racist comments, depressing and open-ended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

Minor: Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Racism

marlasmirkingrevenge's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Racism

itsbrianascall's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Medical content, Grief, Racism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Death, and Death of parent

perksofbeingemily's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Vomit, Suicide, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

venice_the_vampire's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

i really appreciated and related to the idea of always being the perfect student but not being considered useful or smart in any way outside of that and having no idea what to when when you get out of school. i also found the insight onto how being a mentally ill woman in my grand & great-grandmothers time was, especially considering my own family history. it may not be my favorite book, but i still appreciate it for what it is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Racism, Ableism, and Violence

Minor: Sexual content

ellisbillis's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Death of parent, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs

sapphicsav's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

The Bell Jar’s stomach-turning, exacting prose and descriptions of the depths and cyclical nature of mental illness are unparalleled. I was struck by Esther’s body horror around pregnancy, womanhood, and fatness, but most of all by the eerie sense that the treatment she receives and feelings she describes do not feel like artifacts of the past in a world that has barely updated its understanding of mental illness since the 1950s. This is a different kind of coming of age story. It accurately details the uncertain and enduring nature of life with depression, and leaves Esther, so aptly, facing life itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Suicide, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racism, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, and Body horror

blaubeerkokain's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring 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

5.0

Don’t know if it cured my depression or made it worse. Either way I loved it. Don’t repeat my mistakes and listen to the trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Sexual assault

_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