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challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
I won't rate this book so I will leave a couple of pointers instead.
Trigger warning: suicide
As someone that suffers from mental illness, although Esther was not the most likeable character pre-breakdown and was abhorrently racist, I've never seen similar feelings of derealization, loneliness, and fear of suicide while being suicidal like I've read in this book.Reading through her attempts made me weep for my past self going through similar attempts. It feels a bit comforting to not feel alone over this. However, this doesn't excuse the discriminatory thoughts she expressed throughout the book. For this reason, I won't rate this book but I appreciate the representation that I've been yearning for.
Trigger warning: suicide
As someone that suffers from mental illness, although Esther was not the most likeable character pre-breakdown and was abhorrently racist, I've never seen similar feelings of derealization, loneliness, and fear of suicide while being suicidal like I've read in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism
dark
inspiring
reflective
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
The ending feels sadder than it actually is because of the context of who wrote it and what happened to her later... BUT it was still a really emotional and even uplifting? ride
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicide
challenging
dark
reflective
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
I really loved this book, it truly shows you the inner thoughts of someone with a profound mental illness. Although many dated terms, it is a book of its times and it does show the heartbreaking treatment of the mentally ill in the 50s/60s. What makes this book so devastating is the fact that’s it is loosely based on sylvia’s life, with the ending showing esther’s road to recovery, something sylvia never got. Over all it’s a phenomenal novel and one of the classics for a reason!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Misogyny, Violence, Vomit
dark
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism
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, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content
Minor: Homophobia, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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: Suicide
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
just beautifully written- the fig tree passage in particular has always stuck with me. reread
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
dark
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt
dark
emotional
sad
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
Super relatable at parts but overall very heavy/sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Suicide
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this beginning to end including my editions introduction and afterwards. I should’ve known when the introduction talked of the “romanticization of suicide” this book would not be for me. Esther, the main character, in my mind is literally Sylvia herself and her real thoughts under what she describes as “the bell jar” (ah! That’s where the name comes from). At the end of the story I suppose our character is supposed to have recovered but in my mind she goes off and does just the same as Sylvia who stuck her head in a gas oven. The book to me felt sort of immature as her decent into depression feels quick and sudden to me and from her naivety she thinks of suicide. Maybe that’s just me but the entire novel felt like a waste of time and almost like it was encouraging suicide or succumbing to the bell jar for a reset or something… Not an essential classic I’ve concluded…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide