Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

109 reviews

cattheteawitchfairy's review against another edition

DISCLAIMER -  I read this text as a set text for university meaning I did not pick this up for myself. It does not fit my usual reading selection so my review may be rather biased. 

Despite enjoying this book, it was slow at times and I found it too triggering to read at this point in my life, despite checking the trigger warnings. Additionally, I also ran out of time to read it as I could not finish it with all of my other university texts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

j4mes's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-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: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Racism, and Suicide

thefigtree'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? Yes

4.0

feels like a book version of that game where one person draws a head and then folds the paper over and someone else draws a torso and folds that over until you've got a really bizarre miss-matching person

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

i really wanted to love this. however, some parts of the book felt unnecessary to the story and Esther was just not a good person which made this so unenjoyable for me. despite her mental illness there was no reason for her to be so incredibly nasty to everyone around her. and her character targeting and physically abusing the only person of color and calling them slurs… for what? there was absolutely no reason for all of her rude actions especially considering how privileged she was. it did adequately portray the mental unraveling of a women in her early adulthood but it outshined by how awful her character was in my opinion. i was so disappointed :((( 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

insidious_toxins's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Racial slurs

bugsanddirt's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction and Alcohol

karol99's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective tense 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

I am really glad I finally read this book! I enjoyed that way it was written, there have been multiple sections of the book that I have underlined because the way Plath worded things was so eloquently done. I really enjoyed the way she tackled different forms of mysogyny as well as mental health all while the reader has to keep in mind that this book as well as the character is from the 60's - which is also clearly evident in the cultural/societal response to women and mental health at the time.

I specifically had a moment of reflection where I had to jot down my thoughts on mirrors and it's role in the story (Plath, p. 168): 

[Esther asked to see a mirror, and the nurse ignored her]
'Why can't I?'
'Because you better not.' The nurse shut the lid of the overnight case with a little snap. 
'Why?' 
'Because you don't look very pretty.' 

I also had a discussion with my mum about it. All the different factors and layers that were held in such a short line:  'Because you don't look very pretty.'  

I will leave at 4.75, and see how the book will further impact me - and if it does, now that I have finished it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Classism

siannn'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? Yes

1.0

Anti-Semitic mess. Not a book to be adored, it gets its lone star for the unfortunate realsism of suicidal thoughts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming

nikexistiertnik's review against another edition

challenging dark

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

2.75

though i liked the writing style and the type of storytelling, and could even relate to some of the struggles esther was facing, it was just very hard to see past all the woman on woman hate, racism, fatphobia and then even homophobia, that was expressed through esther's thoughts.
she was an extremely unlikable character, which didn't justify the way she was treated, but still made it hard for me to really enjoy the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, and Medical content

Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

stelladafloresta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol