Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

174 reviews

entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

Sería un gran libro si no fuera por que es profundamente racista.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

alexrobinsonsupergenius's review against another edition

dark funny sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Classism

elise_ngzy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This is actually my second read of this book, and it's surprising how different experiences can change the way you view a book. The first time I rated this only 3 stars (one year ago), now I wholeheartedly give it 5 stars. I loved it. I love the prose, the way she describes the world around her, and the way when her perception and inner life changes you can see it through that as well. I love all the small details.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Racial slurs and Death of parent

crystal689's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Pregnancy

jarku's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

I am long past high school, but Plath's prose took me straight back. From the limited first-person perspective dealing Esther Greenwood's deeds and thoughts in explicit, untangled sentences to the smattering of antiquated racial slurs, The Bell Jar felt easy as I read it. In the aftermath, I'm trying to account for what I missed. Like early on, I decided Esther's interest in Doreen was purely platonic, and then I missed the actual gay bits. Or, more troublingly, I didn't discern any moments of relief in Esther's depression, the difference between the bell jar aloft or smothering.

So perhaps this is my failing as a 21st-century reader--I don't expect Elizabethan literature to reveal all its cleverness to me effortlessly, after all. But given the hindsight to frame ECT's effect as a kind of lobotomy-lite (alleviating malcontent by dulling the whole mind, or just torturing patients into pretending they were cured), and the difficult task of untangling Esther/Plath's idiopathic depression from everyday womens' oppression (of course our heroine should feel Not Good Enough against the impossible social standard), The Bell Jar didn't grip me as much as I was hoping.

That said, Obviously this book is Important. Plath does give voice to some feelings we tend to be too shy to admit. I'm just writing this note to help myself remember that this book didn't satisfy my craving for Oh My God This Book Speaks To My Depression like Idlewild, for example.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Racial slurs and Death of parent

Minor: Lesbophobia

chloe_eags's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

whatbidoureads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

This book had been on my tbr for so long and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it! 
Overall, it’s a very interesting book, very self-reflective and empowering (her will for independence is at times very inspiring), but I do think it will be a one-time read for me because some parts were just too hard to read through. The first half was very interesting for me, Esther is such a multi-faceted character who I found super odd at times, but super relatable at others. Side note, I loved Sylvia Plath’s description of food haha. 
But in the second half it got slower and a lot darker which made me step away from the book for a while because some aspects were too touching. 
Nevertheless, I feel the ending wrapped this whole book together, and made me appreciate the story and the MC. I feel like everything was wrapped well, and we get a clear ending on everything. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is although Sylvia Plath is an author I observe from afar because she triggers me, I appreciate her work so much, especially this as it is her only novel and it is considered to be semi-autobiographical.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

realcharliekelmeckis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

oh my god. such a haunting and beautiful and powerful and incredibly real portrayal of mental illness and that terrifying void between youth and adulthood that no one talks about. the way plath manages to put what i believed to be indescribable and isolated feelings into words blew me away. i’ve rarely felt as understood as i did reading this. wonderful and horrible all at once, absolutely captivating, and i’m in love with plath’s writing. most importantly, i feel like i read this at the most perfect time in my life, and though it hurt to read i think i will be forever grateful to it.

note: of course keeping in mind plath’s casual racism, a sign of the times but inexcusable nonetheless

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Self harm

Minor: Death of parent

sotiny's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

euannn900's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I never found myself fully engaged with this book. I don't think I am the intended audience, but I never found myself caught up in the plot. The writing is undeniably gorgeous and poignant and in the second half the book does become more interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and Blood