Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - The Bell Jar

It is important you understand that reading the Bell Jar was a heavy experience. Sylvia Plath is a brilliant writer and her visceral descriptions in this book kept me glued to the page through its most difficult scenes, but indeed these scenes were dark. You will feel uncomfortable, but it is meant to be uncomfortable; you will be confronted with the bleakness of depression and the unfairness of society towards women, and sometimes the unexpected show of Plath's wit. But I do think that it will have been worth it.

From a personal perspective -- I'm not even Esther's age yet. It feels silly of me to talk about myself here because whatever suffering I've ever gone through has never been as despairing as hers, but even then I felt like I could have felt and said the very things happening on paper. Will I too find myself feeling pulled apart by the expectations of others and lost in what exactly I want to do? Will I too find that I can't approach my life with whatever enthusiasm I once had? It certainly feels like that sometimes. The Bell Jar is a reminder that I am not alone.

I'm honestly not sure what to rate this book (it's really my first time rating books) but I'll say I loved it. Overall, a great read.

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katanai's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

i think the last quarter of this book really boosted my rating. honestly, there were several times i put this book down & considered placing it in DNF. the racist remarks were something that i was utterly unprepared for & they had no place in this book. it was just odd how racist & homophobic plath was. anyway, besides that, the first half of this book was quite boring, & i felt as if her descent into madness was a little out of nowhere. but then, sometimes, that's how madness happens, unfortunately. i did tear up at some points during her stay at the mental health institutions but i think i just got triggered due to personal connection to people who have been at institutes. also, the protagonist was just... unlikeable & not in a good way. i can see why it's a classic, but at the same time, i think it is a little overhyped. glad to just finally be done.

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alishamegan's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

Interesting , could do without the racism though

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nolongerhuman_'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? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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emerlees's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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cmacmahon's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

This is undeniably a great book. The writing is superb and the trials Esther goes through are captivating and very real. However, I would be weary that this book is emotionally challenging to read. Personally I found it a struggle, there were times I had to put it away because it was so difficult. But I've had my own experiences with mental health issues, depression and suicide, so I realise my perspective is biased. I've rated this so highly even though it was challenging for me, because the book made me feel like I was not alone in my experience. There was something so exposed and human about this book that really made me appreciate it as art. Overall, a beautiful piece that does not hold back.

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hannahcstocks's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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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grey_writes_love's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

3.25

I would not have finished this book if it was not assigned to me. I never had any reason to root for Esther, or even to like her, save that the alternative was her death. Also, the consistent racism was a huge turnoff.

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