Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

1715 reviews

lauren_lovestoread's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

anikaph's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

everybodyloveschocolate's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racial slurs and Sexual harassment

cyrussolaris's review against another edition

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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The fig tree analogy kidnapped me, threw me in the trunk of its car. ran over said car with a monster truck, and then tossed the wreckage into the Mariana Trench. Great read that gives insight into the uncertainty of life, especially as a young woman, and the distorted views of the world that can lead to. One girl’s struggle with her place in the world and what she’ll do with her life accompanied by her experience in an asylum and receiving electroshock therapy. However, the ending did leave me a bit unsatisfied with how abrupt and open-ended it was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Suicide attempt

salomee_felix_'s review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

therestlessbookflea07's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Esther's mad. Incredibly and miserably mad. And I am perpetually forlorn with her.

I know so little about this book and did not bother to research the content warnings. I did knew that the work is semi-autobiographical. Clueless with the graphic and detail of her inner and concluding turmoil and mental suffering, The Bell Jar testifies arresting writing from the first word until the last.

Emotionally anchored, this book is indeed a deeply devoted work. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

bookedandbusy's review against another edition

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

5.0

This book was incredibly written, Esther’s depression was so well written and the treatment she received from other people showed that depression and other mental illnesses weren’t fully understood back then, and that no one truly understood her struggles. I found a lot of her struggles to be relatable, and I felt like she was a very real character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, and Death of parent

gregory_glover's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

Plath has a wicked—and wickedly funny—sense of humor.  The subject matter is difficult and some of the passages excruciating.  It is definitely worth reading and I am sorry it has taken me so long to pick it up.

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Content Warnings

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

am193's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

I enjoyed this book. There is a lot of humour, particularly in the first third, despite how sad it is as a whole. I think the experience of feeling lost in your 20s is still relatable, even if intricacies of the story aren’t. It is very much a book that reflects the views of the era. However there are some very dark, and graphic portions that should be approached with caution. 

I wouldn’t recommend this book for people who prefer plot driven stories - it more so follows a year in the characters life than specific events and their consequences. This writing style is indicative of Plath being a poet, and the story being a vehicle for a message. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Suicide

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent