Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Lasikellon alla by Sylvia Plath

309 reviews

evasurlafalaise's review against another edition

dark sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

smitha_r's review against another edition

This is a very relatable and well written book, don't get me wrong. But

her slow unravelling once she's rejected from her course after the internship finishes was not good for my own mental health unfortunately. I felt like I was slipping into depression and suicide ideation alongside her, so NOPE NOPE NOPE.

I will hopefully come back to this if/when I'm in a better mindspace. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual assault, Vomit, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Racism and Antisemitism

lolra's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

sicksadlit's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I would say that this book is about to become my whole personality but that would be wrong since I feel like it already IS my personality. 

 

As a mentally ill girly, I rarely read any books that so perfectly encapsulate the experience of battling depression, anxiety, ADHD or even mania. But The Bell Jar practically reflected back to me the girl I was in my late teens. 

 

I have never felt so seen and understood by a book before and when I learned that it was the one and only novel Sylvia Plath wrote before she took her own life in 1963, my heart broke because it so easily could have been me in 2011. 

 

The slide from “normalcy” into complete and total breakdown was so insidious and accurately depicted, you can’t help but feel for Esther as she battles the dark recesses of her own mind. Anyone who has experienced a depressive episode or lives with chronic depression will see their experience written in the pages of this book. We may not all wind up in an asylum undergoing electric shock treatment these days but the events that led to it are still relevant today. 

 

The one flag is that there is some ugly, jarring racism in this book with stereotypes, racial slurs and even assault. One scene in particular makes for harrowing reading and readers should take care. The fact that this book was published in 1963 does not excuse the awful content but it does offer some context as to the very privileged, very white, very racist world that Sylvia Plath herself was a part of. 

 

Overall, The Bell Jar feels like the original My Year of Rest and Relaxation and for those who enjoy unhinged main characters, this one is the OG. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

shoelr's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

Don't read this book if you are currently experiencing depression. 

Also, note it was published in the 60s so parts of it will be quite dated and racist. 

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was painfully relatable. lol

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Medical content

veepopp's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Death of parent

my_weird_bookish_heart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

goemonxiii's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• 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

2.75

While I can appreciate The Bell Jar for what it is and what it's done for the field of literature, feminism, and mental health... it's not for me (which is fine). I'm not particularly enthusiastic about this book, there were parts that were difficult to get through, and I doubt I'll read it again. It's not terrible, and there were in fact parts that I liked, and I do like being able to say that I've read The Bell Jar, but other than that there's not much here.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Racism and Death of parent

several graphic suicide attempts, severe mental illness, depression, medical complication involving birth control

nemo1301's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.5

Very depressing

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Self harm

Minor: Misogyny and Medical content

Depressing, a part of me died along with the book.

waste_cup's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, and Suicide attempt