Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

1165 reviews

nikkiferr's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism

emfriez's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt

ahamilton31's review against another edition

4.0

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt

francescaminney's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy

samantha_is_reading's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma

Minor: Death of parent

louisep1's review against another edition

2.0

dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts

graceiereads's review against another edition

3.75

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

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i don't really get the hype but I think that might be partially because her life in the book is so similar to mine in middle school that it's just so mundane to me and I'm not shocked by literally anything that happens in the book

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content

lealeatss's review against another edition

3.5

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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this book took me quite a while to get into and it was like reading 2 different stories altogether. there was a sudden change in plot (i think, or it could be that i was bored half to death and forgot everything the second my eye left the paragraph) but i guess that change was good. it got infinitely more engaging, diving into the MC’s mental health

and going to the numerous country-clublike asylums

.

i also didn’t want to give this book too high of a rating because of the blatant and FLABBERGASTING racism (i cannot find a better word). in every chapter there is bigotry towards any and every non-white demographic (african american (ch14), asians, natives, you name it) and it was honestly fascinating that even during the civil rights movement, plath had such unrestrained racism. people saying that “it’s the way it was back then” or “she’s dead” are also equally as bigoted because you can objectively consume literature without excusing bigotry. 

the whole premise of the book is also just privileged white american problems 90% of the times (NOT talking about her mental health). 

but my rating is the way it is because plath’s writing is beautiful and eloquent. her words flow from one point to another, and its absolutely stunning. the talk on mental health, although of course not the best, is realistic in how people treat patients as diseased and contagious, which relates a lot to our current society. a lot yet nothing much has changed. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder

hehee's review against another edition

2.0

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book made me realize that im done with ”no-plot just thinking books”. I have thought to much and Im tired of it. I would like a plot now thankyouu <3 (one can only reflect so much) 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Lesbophobia

If you are in a bad mentall state I would not recommend reading this book. Took about a year for me to get through it because it just made me feel so bad.

snoamdaila's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Vomit

Minor: Racism, Death of parent