Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

270 reviews

mermaidread'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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Self harm

Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs

giulidrago's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

"Lo sai che cos'è una poesia, Esther?"
"No, che cos'è?"
"Polvere."
"Anche i cadaveri che tagliuzzi tu. Anche la gente che credi di curare: polvere sono, polvere, nient'altro che polvere. E una vera poesia dura molto ma molto più a lungo di cento dei tuoi pazienti messi insieme."

Mi arrendo di fronte alla consapevolezza di non essere riuscita a mantenere il distacco necessario a soppesare, tagliare e disporre ordinatamente i brandelli di questo romanzo per tirarne fuori qualcosa di razionale. 
La protagonista si sgretola piano piano davanti agli occhi impotenti del lettore e non c'è cura, manicomio, elettroshock, terapia che possa salvarla. Le tematiche della depressione e del suicidio sono raccontate con agghicciante tranquillità, e tutto il romanzo è pervaso da un cinismo e un'ironia cupa che toglie il respiro. La scrittura è immaginifica, e così bella che sebbene leggere questo libro ferisca in profondità, invoglia a volerne ancora e ancora.
La campana di vetro ha affondato le unghie nella mia pelle e rifiuta di lasciare la presa, e dubito che il tempo diluirà l'impressione ricevuta. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Mental illness

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.

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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

avrilamber's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Worth mentioning before I start my review that I would not recommend reading this if you’re struggling with your mental health as it is a difficult read. Please see content warnings.

I feel this book is going to become very important to me over my life. I felt like this book swallowed me up as well as gave me a warm hug.

I found Sylvia’s musings as Esther about life, death, womanhood, mental health incredibly relatable, which is surprising considering that this was published 60 years ago. It’s equally harrowing and comforting.

I saw so much of myself in the protagonist, Esther, her perfectionist ways, her criticisms of women’s role and expectations, how much her self worth derives from her achievements, and spiralling when things out of her control don’t go to plan. This book really hit home to me and it’s all the more poignant knowing the mental health problems Sylvia suffered in real life.

It’s a challenging read, but one I’m very glad I connected with. I will remember that fig tree analogy for the rest of my life.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Blood, Medical content, and Rape

Minor: Racial slurs

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Death, Dysphoria, Body horror, Blood, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Minor: Racism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Medical content, Incest, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Religious bigotry, Rape, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Sexual content

jastasticxoxo's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is excellent. I see why it is a modern classic. I connect so deeply with Esther and Sylvia Plath has always spoken to me in a way no other author or poet has. Esther is such a deeply timeless and relatable character and I love the frankness, honesty and bluntness Sylvia Plath wrote with. Men have been acting with the same violent wilful idiocy for all of time and it’s insane how many of the experiences plath writes about here I and every single afab person I know have experienced. I love this book so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Mental illness

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcoholism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Death, and Physical abuse

caitlin_cain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content, Self harm, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

ashgalwoah's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

3.5

The Bell Jar accurately portrays mental health struggles and does so interestingly through its pacing. The storytelling is tangential, distracted, and convoluted at times, there are many sub-stories and recollections of the past that brings you out of the story completely, just to rip you back to the reality of the moment. I found this style of writing to be beneficial to the character development, but not as engaging to read.

Despite this being a story about mental health and suicide, Plath maintains poetic and comedic language, making it an enjoyable read rather than a depressing one.

I couldn’t help but think of the social understanding or tolerance towards mental health and Suicide when reading The Bell Jar, when this book was written and first came out, Suicide was more taboo than it is now, I assume this made the mundane story more interesting at the time. To me it was relatable and something I was uncomfortably numb to.  

This book is outdated and a bit racist, no question there, and follows a story of an upper middle class white woman. There’s room for improvement!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

meagwhalen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book. It was a tough read for me mentally and emotionally, but a truly superb novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

sharosuza's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Blood, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Rape, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Eating disorder