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jlebon's review against another edition
- 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
Sylvia Plath was a master with words and, in the novels best passages, you can tell (without prior knowledge) that she was first and foremost a poet and secondly a novelist. Her use of language is so evocative and makes you stop and reread her beautiful prose over and over again. I found myself savouring every letter printed in this book.
Narratively, this book is fundamentally very dark in places - morbid in the protagonist's (Esther's) approach to life. And yet this was strangely comforting for me in places. I would be lying if I didn't say there were points in the novel that I related to, with the book feeling as if you're contained within the character's head - much like a person contained within a bell jar you could say. Therefore it feels as if Plath is just sometimes writing what most people think but don't say. It is also nice to read about a protagonist who initially seems to all her life in order, before it slowly crumbling away before her.
A criticism could be levelled that the novel lacks depth within the plot, basically just focusing on the psychology of one individual. However, I do think this works perfectly in unifying the protagonist and reader - seeing what she sees and hearing what she thinks.
I would love to reread this book again, at a less busy period, where I can dedicate time more regularly to devour this book once more. And who knows, maybe that will increase my already high valuation of this book even further.
Up there as an all-time favourite for me!
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
Minor: Body horror
ruthmoog's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Chronic illness and Infertility
Minor: Rape
livruther's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, and Racism
fleursreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ghoulette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Minor: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
gothmiku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Ableism, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Sexual harassment
kibiiiariii's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
mansinnikam's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
stormykat's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
halcyonkathryn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Xenophobia, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Eating disorder, Cultural appropriation, and Classism