Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

224 reviews

lilybarna's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

❤️❤️❤️ from the fig tree to the bell jar, this book left a lasting impact on me. I want to re-read immediately and re-process now and throughout my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Confinement and Sexual content

justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

ravenstag6's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief

Minor: Racism, Sexual content, and Abandonment

sliceofghost's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

the girls who get it get it, and sylvia plath DEFINITELY gets it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Medical trauma

Minor: Death of parent

crystal689's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Vomit, and Pregnancy

leesbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

5.0

plath’s descriptions are breathtaking. we really get to know esther on such a deep level, which unfortunately also reflects plath’s own experiences

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Ableism, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexism

goemonxiii's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.75

While I can appreciate The Bell Jar for what it is and what it's done for the field of literature, feminism, and mental health... it's not for me (which is fine). I'm not particularly enthusiastic about this book, there were parts that were difficult to get through, and I doubt I'll read it again. It's not terrible, and there were in fact parts that I liked, and I do like being able to say that I've read The Bell Jar, but other than that there's not much here.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Racism and Death of parent

several graphic suicide attempts, severe mental illness, depression, medical complication involving birth control

juliec617's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Sylvia Plath's semi-autobiographical bookThe Bell Jar, follows Esther Greenwood who is a college student with dreams of becoming a poet. She first has an internship in New York, which is unfulfilling and leaves her issues regarding her sense of self and societal expectations. 

**SPOILER**

When Greenwood is back in Massachusetts she is under strong psychological distress, including a suicide attempt, causing her mother to send her to a psychiatric hospital. 
As Greenwood improves, psychologically, she is given more freedom from the hospital to go out and stay out late, which allows her to loose her virginity. One of her friends in the hospital kills herself and Esther is allowed to appeal the board of doctors in an attempt to leave and go back to college.
The last scene is Ester entering the room. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

l1ttle_f0x's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Body shaming and Death of parent

bskalka's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

I absolutely love the writing style of this book and the setting is perfect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail