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challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
reflective
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
“To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream.”
I've put reading this one off for way too long. The first half is full of vivid decriptions, places, people, hotels. She really sucks you into this both beautiful and overwhelming feeling world full of faces. Esther feels like a bystander, a numb shell of someone she could have been, but a witty one.
You can really feel how lost Esther feels even at the beginning before she starts spiralling slowly and then faster and faster, the emotional disconnect and even moments of closeness between her and some of the people she meets.Even though I felt really disconnected from Esther's surroundings the ending and what happened to Joan really hit me, Esther's panic around the Electro-Shock-therapy/Insulin treatments etc. as well
"I was supposed to be having the time of my life" and the fig tree analogy are really resonated. Knowing it's a semi-autobiographic novel makes them weigh even heavier. .
Uhhh and well you also got dated language, some racist remarks(I mean kind of expected during this time, even looking at other similar works), possibly uncomfortable topics like attempts and ideation.
I haven't read any of Plath's poetry yet but I really want to in the future
I've put reading this one off for way too long. The first half is full of vivid decriptions, places, people, hotels. She really sucks you into this both beautiful and overwhelming feeling world full of faces. Esther feels like a bystander, a numb shell of someone she could have been, but a witty one.
You can really feel how lost Esther feels even at the beginning before she starts spiralling slowly and then faster and faster, the emotional disconnect and even moments of closeness between her and some of the people she meets.Even though I felt really disconnected from Esther's surroundings the ending and what happened to Joan really hit me, Esther's panic around the Electro-Shock-therapy/Insulin treatments etc. as well
"I was supposed to be having the time of my life" and the fig tree analogy are really resonated. Knowing it's a semi-autobiographic novel makes them weigh even heavier. .
Uhhh and well you also got dated language, some racist remarks(I mean kind of expected during this time, even looking at other similar works), possibly uncomfortable topics like attempts and ideation.
I haven't read any of Plath's poetry yet but I really want to in the future
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent
Read for book club. I can’t imagine how it would’ve felt to read this at Esther/Sylvia’s 21/22. The descent into madness felt like an adrenaline rush. I both read and listened to The Bell Jar, but the thoughts become your own with the audiobook (a testament to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s performance). I loved the prose and I love descriptions of Boston.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am also writing this after speedrunning the book before bed so it might not be super coherent.
Some parts of The Bell Jar made me feel like I was reliving the past. Without sharing too much, I've had my experiences with mental illness, both with myself and also relatives.
It's interesting that despite how old this book is, so many of the societal (and clinical) perceptions of mental health depicted still persist.
The arrogant psychiatrist, most often a man, who instead of listening to the ailing patient gloats about surviving his past trials and tribulations. The well-meaning but clueless guardian, who does not understand - or refuses to accept - that her actions harm. The mean women masquerading as nurses, begrudgingly doing the bare minimum for their patients. But also the disgustingly low compensations for healthcare workers, furthering their cynicism. It's surreal to me that at the same time, so much and nothing has changed.
Plath's writing of Esther's depression (I say this as severe sadness or feeling like you are trapped and without purpose since there was never an official diagnosis is) is insightful and so empathetic. (Which makes sense, since Esther's story is largely based on her own experiences.)
Esther's experiences resonate with me so much, especially with her last lines of people looking at her as if they were mourning a lost version of her that never existed. The pressure of and feeling trapped by a path that has been set out for you. I imagine that feeling was even more intense as a woman in the 1950s. I especially love how Esther is written to be so flawed. She is never stripped the blame of her mistakes and prejudice.
also I thought I didn't finish this book in high school but I think I did and just forgot.
The Bell Jar is amazing but I think book recommendations on mental health should branch out a little. Obviously it's no secret that mental health institutionalisation in The Bell Jar is very specific to some groups of people. There is an issue with thinking there's a universal experience to healthcare (which is definitely not what Plath is doing! But I think is a misunderstanding of a lot of people recommending her under mental health). But I say this while not having many to recommend, since I read mostly articles for university
Okay now I'm yapping way too much!! Time to snooze
or maybe hop on the gacha game grind
Some parts of The Bell Jar made me feel like I was reliving the past. Without sharing too much, I've had my experiences with mental illness, both with myself and also relatives.
It's interesting that despite how old this book is, so many of the societal (and clinical) perceptions of mental health depicted still persist.
The arrogant psychiatrist, most often a man, who instead of listening to the ailing patient gloats about surviving his past trials and tribulations. The well-meaning but clueless guardian, who does not understand - or refuses to accept - that her actions harm. The mean women masquerading as nurses, begrudgingly doing the bare minimum for their patients. But also the disgustingly low compensations for healthcare workers, furthering their cynicism. It's surreal to me that at the same time, so much and nothing has changed.
Plath's writing of Esther's depression (I say this as severe sadness or feeling like you are trapped and without purpose since there was never an official diagnosis is) is insightful and so empathetic. (Which makes sense, since Esther's story is largely based on her own experiences.)
Esther's experiences resonate with me so much, especially with her last lines of people looking at her as if they were mourning a lost version of her that never existed. The pressure of and feeling trapped by a path that has been set out for you. I imagine that feeling was even more intense as a woman in the 1950s. I especially love how Esther is written to be so flawed. She is never stripped the blame of her mistakes and prejudice.
also I thought I didn't finish this book in high school but I think I did and just forgot.
The Bell Jar is amazing but I think book recommendations on mental health should branch out a little. Obviously it's no secret that mental health institutionalisation in The Bell Jar is very specific to some groups of people. There is an issue with thinking there's a universal experience to healthcare (which is definitely not what Plath is doing! But I think is a misunderstanding of a lot of people recommending her under mental health). But I say this while not having many to recommend, since I read mostly articles for university
Okay now I'm yapping way too much!! Time to snooze
or maybe hop on the gacha game grind
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Fatphobia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Sexual content
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail