Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

410 reviews

picnicatthehangingtree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

Docking .25 stars for the racism and homophobia. Otherwise this is a near perfect book for me, I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. I think 25 was a really good age to read it at - that feeling of not knowing what the future holds and having to make your way forward despite all the uncertainty really hit for me. This is such an incredible portrait of life with depression, but with such a hopeful ending for a path moving forward whilst holding space for it as a part of you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy

star_lost_fairy's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

2.75

It reads very easily but I did't get the intention behind the book, to me it felt very empty. Had it been more of a social commentary I think I wiuld have liked it more but it was cery supwrficial on a lot topics so I don't know what to think about it. For me it's not a memorable book. 

Also there is a very long list of trigger warning, I put all the ones I remembered in my post.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

roouija's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

lynix's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt

cliterarystudies's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood

avrilamber's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Worth mentioning before I start my review that I would not recommend reading this if you’re struggling with your mental health as it is a difficult read. Please see content warnings.

I feel this book is going to become very important to me over my life. I felt like this book swallowed me up as well as gave me a warm hug.

I found Sylvia’s musings as Esther about life, death, womanhood, mental health incredibly relatable, which is surprising considering that this was published 60 years ago. It’s equally harrowing and comforting.

I saw so much of myself in the protagonist, Esther, her perfectionist ways, her criticisms of women’s role and expectations, how much her self worth derives from her achievements, and spiralling when things out of her control don’t go to plan. This book really hit home to me and it’s all the more poignant knowing the mental health problems Sylvia suffered in real life.

It’s a challenging read, but one I’m very glad I connected with. I will remember that fig tree analogy for the rest of my life.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Racial slurs

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

jastasticxoxo's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is excellent. I see why it is a modern classic. I connect so deeply with Esther and Sylvia Plath has always spoken to me in a way no other author or poet has. Esther is such a deeply timeless and relatable character and I love the frankness, honesty and bluntness Sylvia Plath wrote with. Men have been acting with the same violent wilful idiocy for all of time and it’s insane how many of the experiences plath writes about here I and every single afab person I know have experienced. I love this book so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Alcohol

wrennova123's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I think that Sylvia Plath’s portrayal of the struggle with mental illness was beautifully done. Her writing is blunt, straightforward and hard-hitting, and thus the novel expresses sensitive topics very directly. 
I particularly loved the fig analogy and the symbol of the bell jar to represent the experience of mental illness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

cturn's review against another edition

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

3.0

Characters- 8
Atmosphere- 6
Writing- 9
Plot- 8
Intrigue- 4
Logic- 7
Enjoyment- 6

CAWPILE score: 6.8

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Infidelity, Blood, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent