Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Bell Jar

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

538 reviews

rachel180's review against another edition

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4.0

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clarascissorhands's review against another edition

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I found this story so confusing. It's told in vignettes, so it's unclear how much time passes between each chapter. The writing is quite lyrical but again, I felt utterly confused most of the time. The main character is deeply unlikable, her inner monologue is cruel and selfish - but nothing really happens (at least up until the point I finally gave up). If you like plot this is not your book. I tried to force myself to listen to this because it's a classic, but life's too short to read stuff you hate

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amisk23's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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esme_t's review against another edition

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5.0

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junimo21's review against another edition

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dark 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? Yes

4.5

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justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition

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3.75

“If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed.”

The depiction of how mental health was treated back then was very... unsettling. This book was very trippy and confusing at times, but the depiction of mental health and madness was well done. The writing is good, and it's easily accessible to read. This book surprised me in some ways, and unsettled me in others. It was a pretty decent read.

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iqlofty's review against another edition

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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

4.0

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rebeccadiv's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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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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alexrobinsonsupergenius's review against another edition

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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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