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A review by taylorpg
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
3.75
I have been wanting to read the bell jar for a while and I’m so glad I finally did!
That being said, although I’m glad I read the book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. Personally, I thought it was pretty slow moving and there wasn’t anything that really kept me engaged. It took me a lot longer to read the book than I though it would. There weren’t cliff hangers and there was only one major moment that kept me at the edge of my seat. The writing was beautiful. There’s a reason why this book is a classic. I annotated so much of this book simply because I liked how so much of it was written. This may be a controversial opinion, but I thought this novel was an excellent depiction of how women’s mental health was treated in the late 50s/early 60s. I thought our character was raw and real. However, she’s also a privileged, pretentious cynic which can be annoying and difficult for a lot of readers. This book definitely had me confused and rolling my eyes at some points while really amazing me at others.
That being said, although I’m glad I read the book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought. Personally, I thought it was pretty slow moving and there wasn’t anything that really kept me engaged. It took me a lot longer to read the book than I though it would. There weren’t cliff hangers and there was only one major moment that kept me at the edge of my seat. The writing was beautiful. There’s a reason why this book is a classic. I annotated so much of this book simply because I liked how so much of it was written. This may be a controversial opinion, but I thought this novel was an excellent depiction of how women’s mental health was treated in the late 50s/early 60s. I thought our character was raw and real. However, she’s also a privileged, pretentious cynic which can be annoying and difficult for a lot of readers. This book definitely had me confused and rolling my eyes at some points while really amazing me at others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Rape, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Self harm