Reviews

I had been wanting to read this book for years but I was scared of taking on the task and then be disappointed. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

Beautfully written, strong female lead, accurate representation of mental health issues and the difference a good physician can make.
Funny & powerful. The clear resemblance between Esther and Sylvia herself makes it that much more extraordinary.

*** I am. I am. I am. ***

theuncultured's review against another edition

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5.0

I hated this book halfway through because it reminded me so much of myself and the deep holes I keep finding myself in but I learned to be a little more objective towards the end. The truth is, Sylvia Plath is a brilliant writer of every mind's sufferings, and I think it will be hard for a lot of people NOT to relate to this book because it bares it all out and when you bare it out it has no choice but to linger and wait for acceptance (from whom? the reader.) The texture of her talent doesn't go unnoticed, her little stories are amusing and thought-provoking, the entire thing is hugely quotable, some sentences even stick with you for a long time. "I am, I am, I am." It's definitely a book I would pick up again.

cyrahewison's review against another edition

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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? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

caitgreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad fast-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

Content Warnings

zttoklu's review against another edition

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5.0

Okay, I read this a while ago but I wanted to write some of my thoughts so that I can have it on here. I really liked this novel. It reminded me a lot of Girl, Interrupted but the pacing felt much slower than Girl, Interrupted. One of the biggest things that stood out to me in this novel was how prominent the Madonna-whore complex was. I think this is one of the biggest aspects of the feminist reading of this novel. The men in the novel only sexualize the women they deem promiscuous. These women are objectified and used for sex. But they’re not seen worthy of marriage. The women they see marriage-worthy are women they are afraid to sexualize. These women are more “innocent” or “pure.” Plath might be commenting this ridiculous expectation for women to fit into this purity standard in order to be seen with value.

In terms of mental health, it was insane that everybody around her insinuated that she was like the way she was because she chose it and kept telling her that she needs to stop “acting.” It is very representative of how mental health issues weren’t considered to be real during the time period. A lot of Plath’s experience can even be applicable to today where there’s a lot of stigma built around mental health within our society.

Plath does a great job making the novel feel like you are in her head. The prose very much feels like a long stream of thought. It feels like we’re in her head hearing her thoughts and insights on interactions. I think this is why it’s such a good novel. We are seeing the raw, uncomfortable aspects of someone’s life that deviate from the norm.

Lastly, Plath was incredibly problematic. Her discriminatory tendencies definitely reflect onto her writing. The way the main character interacts with other races is hard to read. The way she portrayed the only Latino character to be hypersexual and aggressive was disturbing. In a lot of forms of problematic media, foreigners tend to be hypersexualized and stereotyped to be “exotic.” It’s incredibly harmful to attach this “dangerous” and “aggressive” stereotype onto people of different backgrounds.

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