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grey_writes_love'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? It's complicated
3.25
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
litliz'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
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
cturn'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
3.0
Atmosphere- 6
Writing- 9
Plot- 8
Intrigue- 4
Logic- 7
Enjoyment- 6
CAWPILE score: 6.8
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
philosophermyarse's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Blood
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Injury/Injury detail
sholtie'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
4.0
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
gvstyris'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
4.0
To the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream.
As perhaps one of the most iconic romans à clef of all time, and certainly of the last century, Esther Greenwood's trajectory in The Bell Jar is impossible to detach from Plath herself. This novel is most successful as a devastatingly blunt chronicle of depression, falling somewhat short in its wider social commentary.
Plath depicts Esther's loss of control throughout this novel, and her increasingly fragmented narrative structure and strong imagery were my personal highlights. I was impressed by how accessible The Bell Jar is, with much of Esther's feelings echoing my own experiences as a 21st century reader. Since publication, Plath's symbols of mental health (figs, the bell jar itself) have become iconic, and for good reason. She tackles Esther's depression with both sensitivity and honesty -- which is admirable for a novel written over 50 years ago.
I feel more iffy about the feminist commentary here. While Esther makes some astute observations regarding the undervaluation of female labour and pleasure, her perspective on feminism undeniably centers white middle-class women. This would be less of a problem if Esther didn't pause repeatedly to make unnecessary racist (and a few homophobic) remarks about the few people of colour she comes across. While I have no doubt that many people defend Plath by arguing that The Bell Jar is a product of its time, I think it's important to remember that this novel was written amidst the Civil Rights Movement. I've definitely come away from this reading with a more critical view of Sylvia Plath, and have a lot of research to do.
I'm ultimately glad to have read this one, and respect all Plath has done to improve mainstream understanding of mental health. Definitely not a light-hearted book, though, and is potentially quite triggering for anyone currently grappling with depression.
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicide, and Sexual assault
Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia
allydoessomereading's review against another edition
- 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
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
vonya45'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
4.5
Graphic: Sexism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Racism
Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent
veliana's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, and Misogyny
kiran__'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: Blood, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Pregnancy and Alcohol