A review by valley
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

- felt like it could be written just a few years ago (style, opinions etc) apart from the treatment of black people of course
- holy shit i related to way too many quotes
- i'm a changed woman (for better or for worse)
- idk how she does it but she changed my brain chemistry
- loved the style (just the opening sentence drew me in already)
- probably most accurate portrayal of mental illness i've read (i mean, yes modern books are more accurate on the medical side, but the descriptions were really good at conveying how it feels)
- that being said, MAJOR warning if you're struggling rn cause it details suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in a way that i had to put down the book from time to time. take care of yourself and don't put your mind in a bad place. you can still read the book when you're a little more stable/have a good way to deal with the negative emotions. 


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