Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

705 reviews

tinawantscoffee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Toxic friendship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Racism

siyalovestoread's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really wanted to drop this book

but when she went to the asylum

that's when I really got invested into Esther's story. I loved the ending because it was really open-faceted and you could come up with how Esther was going to live her life. 
Splendid book in summary I suppose. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism

wilmot's review against another edition

Blatant racism, not sure how this could be considered an important piece of feminist literature while being so racist. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, and Racism

carrot236's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

ellisbillis's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Death of parent, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, and Racial slurs

sapphicsav's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.75

The Bell Jar’s stomach-turning, exacting prose and descriptions of the depths and cyclical nature of mental illness are unparalleled. I was struck by Esther’s body horror around pregnancy, womanhood, and fatness, but most of all by the eerie sense that the treatment she receives and feelings she describes do not feel like artifacts of the past in a world that has barely updated its understanding of mental illness since the 1950s. This is a different kind of coming of age story. It accurately details the uncertain and enduring nature of life with depression, and leaves Esther, so aptly, facing life itself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Suicide, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racism, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical content, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, and Body horror

jolsoup's review against another edition

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Sexism, and Suicide

nnw's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

This book is just so well crafted it's nearly impossible not to feel moved by it. Esther is not necessarily a pleasant character, but Plath's prose is poetic and insightful, sort of forcing you to feel a sort of kinship with her. There's definitely a reason this novel is so highly regarded.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Racism

mackenziebh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Racism

Moderate: Suicide

anniejh's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism