Reviews with content warning for Rape - The Bell Jar

Though I absolutely devoured ‘The Bell Jar,’ I struggled with some of the language and attitudes that I’m sure my parents would describe as “products of that time.” I don’t find that reasoning to be an appropriate criticism. However, I think that looking at Esther/Sylvia as a deeply faulted, self involved, struggling student that is both understandable but not necessarily condemnable gave me license to evaluate the novel beyond its instances of racism.
The story of Esther Greenwood, a fictionalized version of Plath herself, articulated the visceral fear and emotional stagnation that accompanies untreated depression in a way I’ve never seen before. Plath’s writing is sure to strike a chord with young adults who love someone more the less they know them, who have rarely encountered external failure, who see the futility of life but are not emotionally equipped to appreciate the freedom in ephemerality, who can only work and create to satisfy an eternal need for purpose. In many ways that I’ve never had the talent to describe, I resonated with her journey. There is a refined rawness that ribbons through the book and made me feel like I was reading a diary, or hearing whispered confessions late at night. While I’m not sure this is something I could universally recommend, if you think you’ll like it, you most likely will.

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chloe_hazel's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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laughingrecord's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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star_witch's review against another edition

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5.0

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pdunkinn's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad tense 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

3.0

very unsure about this one. HORRIFICALLY dark & sad and was very obviously written in the 50s. captivating writing and VERY good depiction of the everyday thoughts and relationships of someone who is deeply suicidal - but racist in many parts and overall a rough read. i picked up this book not knowing anything about it bc i wanted to see what all the fuss was about with Sylvia Plath, almost stopped halfway through but figured i’d might as well finish it because i was already halfway there, not sure if i regret reading or not? wouldn’t really recommend

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