Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

27 reviews

annahollamby's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

I'm satisfied that I read it, as it's a contemporary classic,and because I've been mentally ill for as long as I've been sentient, I did find the book relatable (derogatory). But, I can't and won't get over or look past the racism, anti-semitism, homophobia, and general white privilege of it all. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Classism, Antisemitism, and Homophobia

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

nemrac23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, and Violence

Minor: Racism, Homophobia, and Antisemitism

lui037's review against another edition

sad tense slow-paced

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

0.5

I can see why this book was necessary for the conversation on mental health but the racism not even 7 pages into the book and just the terrible protagonist. It’s a no from me, curious why certain folks relate and love this so much. (That is not to negate that some very real and relatable themes/experiences were expressed but I just disliked the way it was done and Esther’s calculatedness.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Death, Colonisation, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

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

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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

katherineellen's review

dark emotional reflective 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

3.5

“To the person in the bell had, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is a bad dream.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Mental illness

Moderate: Antisemitism and Racism

vivemosnumasociedade's review

dark reflective sad tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, and Racism

starsbythepocketful's review against another edition

2.0

i only read this so i’d never have to read anything by sylvia plath again in my life

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Antisemitism

maferbriz's review against another edition

dark sad slow-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

2.5

Why is no one talking about the blatant racism in this?? I thought I was being unreasonable being disgusted by the descriptions of people from different races because no one mentioned it in any of their 5 star reviews of this “masterpiece”. 
This was an almost dnf for me, saved only by my own curiosity of knowing where this character would end up and if it would follow the same author’s demise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Antisemitism, Racism, Blood, Death, and Suicide attempt

maybe_perhaps'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Antisemitism and Racism