Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

1166 reviews

bumbleburr's review against another edition

2.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt

leilorenzo's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Vomit

nutmegward's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Vomit

spacey_kate's review against another edition

4.5

dark reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Relatable & depressing & hopeful & feminist 

The room hovered around me with great gentleness, as if the chairs and the walls were withholding their weight out of sympathy for my sudden frailty. 

The trouble was, I hated the idea of serving men in any way. I wanted to dictate my own thrilling letters.

The bell jar hung, suspended, a few feet above my head. I was open to the circulating air.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Vomit

chainsawheartbooks's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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“I would be sitting under the same glass bell jar, stewing in my own sour air.”

I’ve been meaning to read this for a while, and I think reading it now, whilst I’m going through my own journey with anxiety and depression, has been strangely therapeutic and almost healing in a way. 

Given it was written in the 60s, some of the wording that’s used and the attitudes that are portrayed are of course wrong now, but with that in mind I can see how this has become a classic! 

To write about these experiences and emotions, showcasing how dark and isolating the struggles can be, and what it was like to go through them during that time; it must have been so tough for her to find the words, and I hope that it helped her, even just a bit. 

It is an incredible read and Plath was one hell of a writer! I hope she knows just how important this novel is to so many people, and how crucial it has been in aiding the discussion of mental health to this day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

kamelleruano's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Alcohol

fritopie's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism

enika's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

lauryn_2's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional reflective sad 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail

mievdk's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

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