Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

43 reviews

trombolive's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Rape, Vomit, Torture, Death, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders

lindsey_bear's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

4.0

Plath’s writing style is easy and timeless. That being said, the topics in The Bell Jar are anything but easy. The story was hard to get through as much of it surrounds the main character’s thoughts of suicide. I found the descriptions of the asylum to be extremely interesting and it shed a lot of light on how mental disorders used to be dealt with decades ago. The metaphor of the bell jar as intermittent depression was relatable and evergreen. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Suicide, Death, Mental illness, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

aleksanski's review against another edition

challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Gore, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Body shaming, Blood, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Death

Moderate: Rape, Sexual harassment, Grief, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

sofipitch's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One of my favorite books of all time, not just bc it captures what it is like to have depression but the logic of it, how your arguments feel logical bc the world sucks so why go on? This was my 3rd or 4th reread

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Lesbophobia, and Racism

jiggityjog's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

The experience of deeply rooted depression is expertly captured in this book in such a way that it comes through with great clarity despite the fact that I am very different from the protagonist of this living in a very different time & place. I was pleasantly surprised to not feel overwhelmed with sadness in reading this book like I had anticipated I might. Instead, what I felt was a great deal of compassion & empathy for the book’s protagonist, Esther Greenwood, despite all her flaws. Even though the work felt somewhat incomplete in the end, when taken in the context of Sylvia Plath’s life, that lack of closure seems fitting for this story’s end.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Racism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Body shaming

Minor: Ableism

It’s probably not a good idea to pick this book up if you are currently struggling a great deal with depression and/or suicidal ideation. Consider waiting to do so until you feel a bit more on stable ground.

gcreed13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

stelladafloresta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcohol, Ableism, Racism, and Toxic relationship

lostboylio's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Suicide, Racism, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent

saskia6's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Blood, Medical trauma, Violence, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

Minor: Racism, Homophobia, and Alcohol

strawberrymoocow's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I am literally Esther Greenwood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit