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jlebon'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
5.0
Sylvia Plath was a master with words and, in the novels best passages, you can tell (without prior knowledge) that she was first and foremost a poet and secondly a novelist. Her use of language is so evocative and makes you stop and reread her beautiful prose over and over again. I found myself savouring every letter printed in this book.
Narratively, this book is fundamentally very dark in places - morbid in the protagonist's (Esther's) approach to life. And yet this was strangely comforting for me in places. I would be lying if I didn't say there were points in the novel that I related to, with the book feeling as if you're contained within the character's head - much like a person contained within a bell jar you could say. Therefore it feels as if Plath is just sometimes writing what most people think but don't say. It is also nice to read about a protagonist who initially seems to all her life in order, before it slowly crumbling away before her.
A criticism could be levelled that the novel lacks depth within the plot, basically just focusing on the psychology of one individual. However, I do think this works perfectly in unifying the protagonist and reader - seeing what she sees and hearing what she thinks.
I would love to reread this book again, at a less busy period, where I can dedicate time more regularly to devour this book once more. And who knows, maybe that will increase my already high valuation of this book even further.
Up there as an all-time favourite for me!
Graphic: Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Suicide
Minor: Body horror
unabashedlynat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Self harm, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Death
daisydays128'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
4.25
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
xseulgiii's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Grief, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Death of parent
zhazhadiamond's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, and Sexual assault
trombolive's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Misogyny, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Torture, Death, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders
jneverland's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Alcohol, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
lindsey_bear's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Suicide, Death, Mental illness, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
epiderma'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? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Suicide attempt
sapphichaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual assault, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, and Self harm