Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

1179 reviews

batcavelark's review against another edition

3.5

dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt

___'s review against another edition

0.25

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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First world white girl problems. Not a single likable character in the book.

I knew nothing of this book going into it. As someone who has been both depressed and suicidal most of their life, as well as someone who knows everything's relative, I still found this book to be completely trash and almost insulting (bigotry aside).

...

Upon further reflection, this is one of the worst books I've ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt

Minor: Death, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol

mirandyli's review against another edition

1.5

dark 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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This book is the whitest "I'm not like the other girls" story I've ever read. A country girl comes to the big city on a scholarship and realizes she doesn't fit in. She has always succeeded academically and begins to spiral once she is no longer succeeding.

I thought I would relate more to a book about depression, but I should have expected a super white story. There's casual racist phrases spattered throughout the book (“I looked as yellow as a Chinaman"). The author laments how difficult her life is as a (white) woman compared to a man. She says she doesn't see people as Black or white, but as those who fucked and those who didn't... what?! And don't even get me started on the racist comments about the Black hospital attendant. 

Other wtf parts: the narrator falling out of love with Buddy because he became fat after getting tuberculosis (yikes). Or becoming depressed because she volunteered to pass out flowers at a hospital and threw out the dead flowers (one of the weirder moments of the book).

The book, which is about depression, depressed me by how mediocre and white it was.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt

elle_g's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional 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: Suicide

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual violence

rickle400's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark informative sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Great to finally read this classic. Amazingly concise writing with some beautiful metaphors. Devastating. A look into female condition and the pressures of existing that are hugely relatable 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma

todrick_the_tree's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment

devilsdaughter666's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional 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: Self harm, Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Racial slurs

cadimy's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death

Minor: Vomit

romeoreadssometimes's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A fantastic book which shows the darker, realistic side of depression.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape

Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt

Minor: Suicide

timid_witch's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

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