Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

313 reviews

yeolliesutr's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Racial slurs

godfrina's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.0

I sadly didn't enjoy this classic at all. I find Esther insufferable. The writing is truly poetic but I couldn't get into the story, I took what feels like an eternity to finish it. On top of that, there's uncomfortable streaks of rasicm and fat phobia all throughout, possibly as a product of its time, but it takes you out of the story reading it in this age. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Classism, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Racism

Minor: Fatphobia and Vomit

samarareads's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

2.0

While I can value a novel about the madding nature of the expectations and restrictions society places on women, my appreciation for The Bell Jar stops there. A lovely fig tree metaphor cannot make up for the derogatory characterisations that plague this book, especially given it was written in the middle of the civil rights movement. Perhaps I have simply read this novel too late to appreciate its significance because I cannot help but think of the many other writers who manage to explore mental distress, misogyny, suicide, and institutionalisation without succumbing to racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and so on. I simply cannot see myself in a story that fails to see the humanity in me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Racism

philosophermyarse's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Vomit, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Blood

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Injury/Injury detail

brotestantethic's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-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

4.5

People really aren’t lying when they call this a modern classic. It’s easy to get lost in the world of The Bell Jar, and to slip into the mind of Esther Greenwood. Esther is the master of unreliable narrators; the narration reflects her experience rather than a linear plot. As a result, it’s hard to tell what is actually happening, especially near the middle of the novel.

The ending is a lot to digest.

It’s optimistic, but only just. Esther starts to heal, but it’s as a result of shock therapies she didn’t want and therefore is tainted by that experience. At one point, a woman at the institution appears to her as a misshapen shadow, and she seemingly heavily exaggerates complications after sex (pools of blood filling her shoes, etc.). Even though the bell jar is lifted, she still has to deal with the horrors of everyday life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Sexual assault

letheii's review

adventurous challenging dark funny reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

rip sylvia plath you would have loved mitski

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent and Racism

sholtie's review against another edition

challenging dark funny fast-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

4.0

What can I say? This book walked so every other piece of media i love could run

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Racism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Medical trauma, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Blood

rhiannonmohar's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

amessina3399's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, and Suicide

Moderate: Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Alcohol

Minor: Racial slurs, Infertility, and Racism

allydoessomereading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

5.0

I think Sylvia plath knows my life exactly. I don't think I've ever read my own thoughts and feelings be explained so beautifully and precisely like Plath does. Her writing is so vibrant and poetic, even when she is discussing some very heavy topics. Its amazing that she was able to discuss the female experience so ruthlessly in the time that she did. Its insane that this book from years ago is the first ive read with passages that have made me feel so seen and understood in a way i havent felt before. I think this book found me at both the best and worst time, either way I know it's stuck with me for life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Grief, Suicide attempt, Racism, Rape, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide

Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Hate crime, Death of parent, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, and Homophobia