Reviews with content warning for Sexism - The Bell Jar

Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

177 reviews

tarlie_12_xoxo's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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shaleen64's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.5

This book skilfully covers the issues of patriarchy, mental health and bodily autonomy.

The book follows the main characters decent into madness in a direct manner without any dramatics. It is particularly enjoyable how the writing style changes to reflect this.

The analogy of both the Fig Tree and the Bell Jar are both relatable and affirming.

However, it’s impossible to ignore the blatant racism within the book, and whilst consideration has to be given to the time period in which it was wrote, the comments made just feel like a way for Plath to voice her own prejudices. For this reason alone I wouldn’t actively recommend this book.

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elove13's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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cafelatte235's review against another edition

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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

4.5

This isn't a book I would usually read. I feel really moved by this book and it was an unforgettable read. It somehow feels like I'm sitting here and I've been punched in the gut. It's poetic, emotional, dark, sad, and so much more. I don't even know how to sum up what I'm feeling right now..... But go read this book.

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ravenstag6's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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crystal689's review against another edition

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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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jarku's review against another edition

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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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