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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
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Death of parent
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wildly racist, and the whole novel read like an excessively self-pitying and self-righteous Sylvia Plath self-insert. That being said, I liked the latter quarter and the ending of the book, and it was well-written and engaging, despite its flaws. I eye-rolled my way through the whole thing but still enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
dark
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
This one is tough. The main character seems to hate everyone and everything, in a mean way, and is very self-righteous. I understand she is sick, but it makes her hard to like (even though you still hope for her recovery). As others before me have noted, there is a lot of racism, homophobia, and body shaming, which makes it tough to read. The fact that this is a mostly true account of the author does make the book more interesting, especially given the author's sad untimely end. I wish she could have had more peace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Definitely a story unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The author has such a poignant way of describing feelings and surroundings it’s incredible. This book was about a woman losing her mind, and the way that many of her early signs of insanity were described was so casual you almost missed it - which makes it so believable that the main character was truly transforming this way. I’ll probably have to read this again someday to truly understand some of the symbolism and description because of how complex this felt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
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
i don’t know how i feel about this book. i think it has an important conversation surrounding women’s mental health in a time where that was an extremely taboo topic but there’s also a surprising amount of unaddressed racism. sylvia plath was definitely a talent gone too soon, and learning about her death literally right after this book’s publication sheds a whole new light onto it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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: Death, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Vomit