Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

308 reviews

jj_the_duck's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma

jarku's review against another edition

dark reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

I am long past high school, but Plath's prose took me straight back. From the limited first-person perspective dealing Esther Greenwood's deeds and thoughts in explicit, untangled sentences to the smattering of antiquated racial slurs, The Bell Jar felt easy as I read it. In the aftermath, I'm trying to account for what I missed. Like early on, I decided Esther's interest in Doreen was purely platonic, and then I missed the actual gay bits. Or, more troublingly, I didn't discern any moments of relief in Esther's depression, the difference between the bell jar aloft or smothering.

So perhaps this is my failing as a 21st-century reader--I don't expect Elizabethan literature to reveal all its cleverness to me effortlessly, after all. But given the hindsight to frame ECT's effect as a kind of lobotomy-lite (alleviating malcontent by dulling the whole mind, or just torturing patients into pretending they were cured), and the difficult task of untangling Esther/Plath's idiopathic depression from everyday womens' oppression (of course our heroine should feel Not Good Enough against the impossible social standard), The Bell Jar didn't grip me as much as I was hoping.

That said, Obviously this book is Important. Plath does give voice to some feelings we tend to be too shy to admit. I'm just writing this note to help myself remember that this book didn't satisfy my craving for Oh My God This Book Speaks To My Depression like Idlewild, for example.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racial slurs and Death of parent

Minor: Lesbophobia

aggie2010's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Lesbophobia

rogersic1208's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

moonysweaters14's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

l1ttle_f0x's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Body shaming and Death of parent

chaidolls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

abicaro17's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

Eh. This is probably the worst of the good books on mental health i've read. As someone who has read a lot of those books I feel pretty qualified to say that. Esther is a suburban girl taking a trip to New York, after she finds out she didn't make the writing class she applied for and spirals. Conceptually this works fine I think it was just written poorly. The whole New York bit doesn't add anything story wise and Esther is pretty un likable. She doesn't learn anything and the end seems pretty loose. Just doesn't hold up against others Ive read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

chels_ro's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

a glimmer of a good book on mental illness and the coming of age of a woman in the 60’s, lost in the authors inability to not write racial stereotypes and every turn and allow the main character to treat anyone in her life well 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Religious bigotry

micheberg's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment