Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

35 reviews

courtmckenz's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

emeryreadsalot's review

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Death, Self harm, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Alcohol

oscarwildewhore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Medical trauma, Medical content, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Suicide

sapphicsav's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

The Bell Jar’s stomach-turning, exacting prose and descriptions of the depths and cyclical nature of mental illness are unparalleled. I was struck by Esther’s body horror around pregnancy, womanhood, and fatness, but most of all by the eerie sense that the treatment she receives and feelings she describes do not feel like artifacts of the past in a world that has barely updated its understanding of mental illness since the 1950s. This is a different kind of coming of age story. It accurately details the uncertain and enduring nature of life with depression, and leaves Esther, so aptly, facing life itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Suicide, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racism, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, and Body horror

sashabaker177's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This book lulls you into a false sense of security. Esther initially seems sardonic, judgemental and disconnected as she spends the summer in New York, but her thoughts become increasingly dark and her narration appears ever less reliable. The final act is a terrifying and viscerally detailed portrayal of mid-century mental healthcare. Knowing the author's fate the ending feels ominous rather than hopeful. My only criticism of the book would be that at times the character expresses racist and homophobic sentiments, which later on in the book feel integrated with her break with reality, but earlier on at times feel like the author's prejudices seeping through. To be expected with a book this old, but nonetheless a little jarring.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, and Medical trauma

Minor: Chronic illness, Gore, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

mblanke's review against another edition

dark funny sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Medical content, Racial slurs, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit and Alcohol

bzzzzzz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Sylvia Plath's writing is magnetic. Yet, given her state of mind, it comes as no surprise that this book is devoid of love, hope, or joy. I think art needs touches of these things to truly be a masterpiece. Also, it has a tragically distorted view of sex.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, and Toxic relationship

vartikas's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Chronic illness

kairipaopu12's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Self harm, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Chronic illness, and Racial slurs

todrick_the_tree's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Medical content, Blood, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Rape