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dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
This book feels like…imagine you’re a teenager sitting on bench, book of matches in hand. One at a time, you light one, stare at it, and wait for it to burn down to your fingertips before the heat forces you to drop whatever’s left. Then you grab another one and do the same thing. You feel the need to destroy something and set yourself on fire without articulating why.
I ended up reading the back thirdish of this book in one sitting because I needed Esther to be okay.
I ended up reading the back thirdish of this book in one sitting because I needed Esther to be okay.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Pregnancy
challenging
dark
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Suicide
dark
emotional
reflective
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
Haunting. I see why so many young women see themselves in this book for one reason or the other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
Minor: Racial slurs, Xenophobia
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicide
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
to me this is not the diary of some crazy girl,more like a coming of age story,acceptance of all that stands in fromt of us without contextualising it.Just pure knowledge that life is absurd and nothing we do affects that.I appreciated the character of esther because i honestly found myself a lot in her in all the weird thought spirals she had
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
reflective
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
if i had read this 5+ years ago, during some trough in my mental state, i can see how it would’ve been profound. which says a whole lot about adolescent me, and a lot about Sylvia Plath. The Bell Jar felt like manic pixie dream girl’s depressed sister.
the writing was fairly good, although the only part i truly loved was the fig tree metaphor. in terms of plot and character, there was much to be desired. the racism and homophobia were definitely something. additionally, though considered a feminist literary classic, the entire book diminishes all the women around the protagonist in some way (whether they are a mother, or an accomplished doctor, or a physics student, or an aspiring writer like herself). it’s views on gender roles, female identity, agency and autonomy were just quite superficial, even for the 1950s.
due to its semi-autobiographical context, it is seen by many as Plath’s suicide note (which i believe is where most of its acclaim can be attributed). sure, it was thematically and ideologically ahead of its time and Plath, in her own right, had a life story that most would find compelling. but i can’t help but wonder if this book (and her other works) would hold their own and be as revered outside of that.
overall? a rather dull read.
due to its semi-autobiographical context, it is seen by many as Plath’s suicide note (which i believe is where most of its acclaim can be attributed). sure, it was thematically and ideologically ahead of its time and Plath, in her own right, had a life story that most would find compelling. but i can’t help but wonder if this book (and her other works) would hold their own and be as revered outside of that.
overall? a rather dull read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm
Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent
dark
reflective
sad
medium-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
Honestly- I don’t know how I feel about this book.
I really liked it, and I loved the story of Esther/Sylvia Plath, but it was really sad at the same time. I enjoyed the book and I found nothing wrong with it, but I could tell some people may get bored when reading it. I genuinely wonder how much of this is really based off of Sylvia Plaths life experiences, but I guess I can found out more once I read her diaries and poems x But as a warning, there are quite a few triggering themes within the book to look out for!
I really liked it, and I loved the story of Esther/Sylvia Plath, but it was really sad at the same time. I enjoyed the book and I found nothing wrong with it, but I could tell some people may get bored when reading it. I genuinely wonder how much of this is really based off of Sylvia Plaths life experiences, but I guess I can found out more once I read her diaries and poems x But as a warning, there are quite a few triggering themes within the book to look out for!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt