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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
ankiaisreading'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
3.75
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Alcohol, Body horror, Drug use, Fatphobia, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Confinement, Vomit, Infidelity, Death, Medical content, Sexual assault, Grief, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, and Suicide
imagimental'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, and Suicide
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and Fatphobia
Minor: Death of parent
mcasey364's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
But as the story goes on, it of course begins to make sense. The foggy buoyancy from moment to moment becomes the most sensible way to show dissociation without telling. Plath conveys the story with a poetic flightiness where Esther often transfixes on an individual detail, either appreciating or (more often) getting annoyed by it. I found that very relatable.
Esther lives out severe depression much as I've seen it affect people I love. Plath's personal experience is evident. The Bell Jar doesn't indulge in dramatization or heroic combat against the darkness. This undying condition can be all-encompassing, and blandly distorting of cognition as it saps away hope and desire. At its strongest, the need to melt into the darkness (from death, self-destruction, or simply hiding) is a need as banal as hunger or sleep.
Esther/Sylvia in the depth of her depression does not try to tug at our heartstrings, she just tries to disappear (on the bad days) and cause some trouble or make some changes (on the good ones). In the abyss and on the slow climb back out, The Bell Jar is so readable that I finished it over the course of two weekdays.
Graphic: Self harm and Body shaming
georgwithey's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Death, and Toxic relationship
itsbrianascall's review against another edition
- 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
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
burnedoutbookdragon'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
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Racism
ellisbillis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Death of parent, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs
alyssams884'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
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Suicide
Moderate: Body shaming, Blood, Racism, Sexism, and Death
Minor: Vomit, Sexual content, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Medical content
_meganrose'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
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.
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