Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

2210 reviews

carlsbeth93's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional sad

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this was a haunting & really difficult read, especially because I have lived experience with mental illness. my heart broke many times over for Esther and her struggles. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Medical trauma

xom4e's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This hits almost every trigger and is a VERY sad book. Please read with caution. Still wonderful and will stick with you long after you’ve finished. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

oliverrr's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Truly amazing and filled with insightful comments on sexism and mental health and how the two often are interlinked. 

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Content Warnings

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

saundale's review against another edition

5.0

dark informative reflective relaxing 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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Depressingly beautiful. A great insight to what being a depressed woman in the 1950s and early 1960s was like and the unrealistic standards women were held to. I love and am saddened by the fact that this is a semi-autobiographical book. Her prose and poetry really shines through in this novel and also everything feels so realistic. So unfortunate that this was her first and only novel. I’d like to read her book of poetry next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide

Minor: Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria

elysahenegar's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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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In light of the fact that Sylvia Plath ultimately took her own life, this is a very sad book.  Her talent as a writer is unmistakable, but the auto-fictional account of this time in her life and the flat distance with which she described her mental illness was heartbreaking to me this time around. This coming-of-age story offers the reader a window through which to view Plaths chronic suffering with compassion. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide

buonsai's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional inspiring slow-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: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt

tylerluvspsychofiction's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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absolute life changer 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, War

Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment

dkumar's review against another edition

3.25

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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a very visceral, poignant depiction of depression and suicidality's insidious nature, especially as it intersects and compounds with societal prejudices and lack of medical efficacy. there were so many incredible lines reflecting on 1950s misogyny and the systematic dehumanization of women. while i understand the sociopolitical climate of the time, the overt racism was quite uncomfortable to read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism

machinedawn's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional reflective sad 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

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3 stars because I hate it when Esther being annoyingly mean, racist, and homophobic. But of course, there are good things in the book as well. Some of them are relatable to this modern world.

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Content Warnings

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

aislene's review against another edition

2.0

dark emotional 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: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt