Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

85 reviews

flapjackzs_'s review against another edition

dark emotional 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: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, and Racial slurs

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, and Abortion

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

earthtokate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Medical trauma

mawar12's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

  probably  one of the first books I added content warning to. the main character is kinda an asshole. she is so rude to her mom who is coming just so she can have her daughter a present. do you know how many mom's don't even care about their daughters mental health and just dismiss it? her mom's a hero. not perfect but she did what she can.

then she judges buddy for what he did in high school. like c'mon now. 

MC also was so negative that it's so draining to read this book. I get it, that's what happened with people with depression. but that doesn't mean that everytime a good thing happened and my heart was filled with hope, the MC had to say something to view it as negative. it doesn't make for a good reading experience to me.
every person that came and visit her was viewed negatively, every kindness and people asking her to go out with them was framed negatively. I think the only person kind to her that the MC actually loves and gave it right back was Doctor Nolan.
MC also didn't care when she wanted to steal diamond from someone , told Joan rudely out of nowhere Joan made her puke. it's like she judges people that are rude to her but apparently she can also be rude to people tht aren't that rude to her first.

The shock therapy was shockingly scary and im glad that kinda wasn't a huge thing anymore. 

also im surprised people still use telegram in 1950s to early 1960s.

Joan's death is shocking because look perfectly fine the day before her death.


some of the mental health facilities were pretty nice in the book , it's like a hotel with nurses giving you food in your room.

I'm glad that the MC is able to get better but still have questions and she didn't just magically be like all is well, which is pretty accurate for mental health patients.

Her trying to off herself was really triggering and I hate when Buddy asked who wanted to marry her now that she's been in a mental health facility. I know that the MC also has been rude to Buddy because she wrote a rude letter to him while he was suffering with TB, but still tqhat rude of him.

quiet sad that the friends of MC in earlier part of the book weren't as mentioned anymore later in the book.

Overall it's an okay book I like how the writing takes you into the story. can be quiet overdescriptive for me at times. But the MC being so negative was so draining. at least with 'Catcher in the Rye' or cPerks of being a wallflower' they have something else that can keep the tone more fast paced. it just feels like you saying something positive but a person will say something negative back so much so it drains you. But honestly I feel like the book is over hyped. I get the feeling the reason it being hyped was because it agrees with the 'popular' views of some of the western world today. which is the negatives of marriage, how 'women don't need no man' and 'religious people bad and judgemental'.  it hardly is the greatest book ever. it's okay but definitely not great.

some opinions too on MC's thoughts:


First of all, you need to understand why people that defend chastity think the way they do. and you have to look at all angles and met with more people. if you judge people that chose chastity by what one Organisation says then of course you're going to have a bad view of it. think for yourself, is it factually correct and is it proven by data and experience that guarding chastity was actually good?

second of all the girl didn't even hang out with the right person. sure you can be chaste but obviously if you are around toxic men that's hard. hang out with people that think like you or positive people. why do you join people having parties if you want to be chaste? s*x is a beautiful thing that can create life so why waste it on people you aren't serious with?

just because one guy is being fake doesn't mean all people who think chastity is good think like him.
like how not all atheists think like Karl Max.

this also applied to religion. often times this book frame religious people as having less appealing characteristics and even generalized Catholics. which is surprising why so many like this book. I'm pretty sure if the word catholic was changed to the word 'LGBT' the TikTok algorithm wouldn't have hyped this book but would burn it to the ground. the treatment of religion in this day and age is horrible. I know many good religious people that are both good and religious but these people didn't seem to exist in the book.

I also don't like it when it tried to simplify marriage as  'women cool men work'. these husbands and wives do so for their kids and for their family, not just because society told them to. you must understand why things happened and why people think that way and if it's more right for the  society and yourself. if not, you would spend time judging Catholics based on one organization you came across or basing whether you want to keep virginity or not on whether what one  guy does with his.this is what's wrong with the MC's thoughts.

exploring other religion other than Christianity may also help and learning about them rather than just basing it on one view. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

itsbrianascall's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Medical content, Grief, Racism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Death, and Death of parent

_meganrose's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

The fig tree analogy is one of the most beautifully depicted things I have ever read.

Beautifully written and to know this was heavily inspired by her life is absolutely chilling - probably why she was able to paint such painful things so accurately.

Could have done without the blatant racism in this and the fatphobia. In many ways, this book was ahead of its time. But in those ways? It absolutely was not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Drug use, Medical content, Death of parent, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racism, and Physical abuse

moniquita_frita98's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Grief, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

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

cecilialau_'s review

4.0

There are sort of two parts to this story. Not really what I thought it would be but fascinating nonetheless. I defo recommend checking the content warnings for any triggers as there are quite a lot that is discussed/showcased.
Esther is a deeply real/emotional/hurt/traumatised and interesting character who is more and more obviously going through dread and is disillusioned about life, but I found it very well-done how she herself goes through the motions of her state of mind. There are glimpses here and there but she seems shut off from herself.
A few things happen I would have liked more details about (mainly later on) but they don’t affect the rating/experience. And I also want to add that I admire the way that it is implied rather than spelled out how Esther gets to where she does mentally and emotionally (bc body and mind are connected) and how the change happens gradually and inconspicuously (which is quite realistic).
The book is very well-written apart from some stereotypical language use here and there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Grief, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

ashleeee's review

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Death, Grief, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Self harm