Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

6 reviews

grey_writes_love's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I would not have finished this book if it was not assigned to me. I never had any reason to root for Esther, or even to like her, save that the alternative was her death. Also, the consistent racism was a huge turnoff.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Drug abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Medical content, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Racism

Minor: Incest, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Child death, and Pregnancy

gilnean's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Ableism, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Self harm, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Xenophobia, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, and Vomit

Minor: Child death, Terminal illness, Cancer, Cursing, Bullying, Xenophobia, Excrement, Animal death, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Antisemitism

jlebon's review

dark reflective 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

5.0

My copy of this book is absolutely full to the brim of underlined and highlighted passages, dog-eared pages and protruding tabs - which is undoubtedly a great barometer for how good a book is.

Sylvia Plath was a master with words and, in the novels best passages, you can tell (without prior knowledge) that she was first and foremost a poet and secondly a novelist. Her use of language is so evocative and makes you stop and reread her beautiful prose over and over again. I found myself savouring every letter printed in this book.

Narratively, this book is fundamentally very dark in places - morbid in the protagonist's (Esther's) approach to life. And yet this was strangely comforting for me in places. I would be lying if I didn't say there were points in the novel that I related to, with the book feeling as if you're contained within the character's head - much like a person contained within a bell jar you could say. Therefore it feels as if Plath is just sometimes writing what most people think but don't say. It is also nice to read about a protagonist who initially seems to all her life in order, before it slowly crumbling away before her.

A criticism could be levelled that the novel lacks depth within the plot, basically just focusing on the psychology of one individual. However, I do think this works perfectly in unifying the protagonist and reader - seeing what she sees and hearing what she thinks. 

I would love to reread this book again, at a less busy period, where I can dedicate time more regularly to devour this book once more. And who knows, maybe that will increase my already high valuation of this book even further.

Up there as an all-time favourite for me!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Body horror

chrisljm's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

how come no one told me she was racist 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Self harm, and Suicide

Minor: Child death, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

gesanollen's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

kaylenperezslove's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s a dated book so keep that in mind. There will be things said about race and sexuality that are wildly inappropriate. Anyways, I related deeply to this character and reading this at times felt like I was reading my future, which was scary and left me with many questions. I wish Plath was still alive because I need them answered

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, and Medical content