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dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not much I can say about this book that hasn’t already been said, but I enjoyed it. I think my expectations were higher than they should’ve been, and I think I went into it thinking it would be one of my favorite books. And it isn’t. There were definitely some meaningful parts (the fig tree part, obviously, and more), but it was kind of.. boring.. at parts. So kind of fell flat for me. Also it’s, like, pretty racist and homophobic.
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
with how this seems to basically be an autobiography, Esther definitely ended up dying by suicide later on, too.
the first part was brilliant, the next two not so much. i can see how this book was far ahead of its time. i‘m not sure if this novel or the fig tree analogy is groundbreaking enough to have so many people on Substack creaming over it but i am glad i read it.
what i personally got from this the futility that was being a woman back then. you seemingly only mattered in relation to men, no matter what you did. i think the utter agony of lifelong dismissal wouldve driven anyone mad.
the first part was brilliant, the next two not so much. i can see how this book was far ahead of its time. i‘m not sure if this novel or the fig tree analogy is groundbreaking enough to have so many people on Substack creaming over it but i am glad i read it.
what i personally got from this the futility that was being a woman back then. you seemingly only mattered in relation to men, no matter what you did. i think the utter agony of lifelong dismissal wouldve driven anyone mad.
Crazy to think that Plath originally published this book under a pseudonym as she didn't think the book was worthy. It is eerie to read this knowing what happened to her shortly after publication of this work. For people who struggle with mental health the themes in this book are all too familiar. The internal struggle really hit home for me and reminded me of some of my darker moments. Even 50 years later women still deal with these same stressors. The bell jar metaphor is one that I can relate to, luckily we have SSRIs instead of electric shock nowadays or I might have the same plight as Esther. The end of the book was funny too, Buddy thinking he made these women this way, as if he has that much influence...
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Seven Devils By Florence and the Machine
"Devia haver um ritual para quem nasce pela segunda vez — remendada, recauchutada, pronta para pegar a estrada novamente."
Perfeita representação
Perfeita representação
This book altered my brain chemistry. Knowing what happened to Sylvia and how "Esther" is a fictional character with the same dark suicidal thoughts as the author just breaks my heart.. Am lacking words to describe how deeply this affected me, it's sad how women have been experiencing the same things for ages and how modern novels by women describe the same feelings. The main character isn't made to be loved nor perfect but is merely a portrait of a random human going through a rough mental path out of millions of other humans, her racism and derranged thoughts are very questionnable I agree but the book is way more than that and speaks to people who have been in such dark places themselves.