Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

1171 reviews

neomellow's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional reflective sad 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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extremely depressing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Alcohol

hgraham98's review against another edition

4.5

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt

alielaine's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

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

najyah's review against another edition

3.0

dark reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt

zcaquias7871's review against another edition

4.0

dark slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Sexual harassment

dixiecarroll's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

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Stunning. Visceral. Relatable. I loved every second of this. If you told me it was published in 2023 I would believe you - it feels so now and so contemporary for 1963. I cannot recommend this enough (obviously there are a ton of triggers, but that shouldn’t be a surprise)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt

stirlitza's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

jadior's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Self harm

mcasey364's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Uniniated to The Bell Jar other than the Fig Tree passage, I spent the first act curious about why this was a celebrated work. The character is a selfish and judgmental brat, redeemable only by a vague youthful sense of mischief. At first, the writing felt disjointed, failing to capture the grand picture of the city and institutions young Esther worked in.

But as the story goes on, it of course begins to make sense. The foggy buoyancy from moment to moment becomes the most sensible way to show dissociation without telling. Plath conveys the story with a poetic flightiness where Esther often transfixes on an individual detail, either appreciating or (more often) getting annoyed by it. I found that very relatable.

Esther lives out severe depression much as I've seen it affect people I love. Plath's personal experience is evident. The Bell Jar doesn't indulge in dramatization or heroic combat against the darkness. This undying condition can be all-encompassing, and blandly distorting of cognition as it saps away hope and desire. At its strongest, the need to melt into the darkness (from death, self-destruction, or simply hiding) is a need as banal as hunger or sleep.

Esther/Sylvia in the depth of her depression does not try to tug at our heartstrings, she just tries to disappear (on the bad days) and cause some trouble or make some changes (on the good ones). In the abyss and on the slow climb back out, The Bell Jar is so readable that I finished it over the course of two weekdays.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Self harm

valentine_3's review against another edition

3.75

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

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