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vivvs's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
erinpoo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
manishasaha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
lumiix's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
rcsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual content, and Medical content
bzzzzzz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol
helen777's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
vipsahtanut's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Medical content
jlebon's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Sylvia Plath was a master with words and, in the novels best passages, you can tell (without prior knowledge) that she was first and foremost a poet and secondly a novelist. Her use of language is so evocative and makes you stop and reread her beautiful prose over and over again. I found myself savouring every letter printed in this book.
Narratively, this book is fundamentally very dark in places - morbid in the protagonist's (Esther's) approach to life. And yet this was strangely comforting for me in places. I would be lying if I didn't say there were points in the novel that I related to, with the book feeling as if you're contained within the character's head - much like a person contained within a bell jar you could say. Therefore it feels as if Plath is just sometimes writing what most people think but don't say. It is also nice to read about a protagonist who initially seems to all her life in order, before it slowly crumbling away before her.
A criticism could be levelled that the novel lacks depth within the plot, basically just focusing on the psychology of one individual. However, I do think this works perfectly in unifying the protagonist and reader - seeing what she sees and hearing what she thinks.
I would love to reread this book again, at a less busy period, where I can dedicate time more regularly to devour this book once more. And who knows, maybe that will increase my already high valuation of this book even further.
Up there as an all-time favourite for me!
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Minor: Body horror
unabashedlynat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Death