Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

99 reviews

armadillopickleman's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Pregnancy

Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

eva_vva's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Infertility, Racial slurs, and Abandonment

clary0402's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

emerlees's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

lilawsahar's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.0

Follows a young woman who deals with depression and suicidal thoughts.

After a suicidal attempt, she finds herself in a mental institution to help her cope with her feelings including shock treatment. It’s good that she ends on a happy note. But after reading the life of the author, you realize the experience of the character ties closely to the experience of the author. And the author ends up killing herself, which you can probably assume the character in the book does as well later on like Joan. I really hope that mental health services are better than they were back then.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

roouija's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

meagwhalen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous book. It was a tough read for me mentally and emotionally, but a truly superb novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

emeryreadsalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body horror, Blood, and Alcohol

amyg677's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Plath’s words still ring true to this day, 60 years later. The struggles of girlhood and mental health, somehow taken too seriously and not seriously enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Grief

allydoessomereading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I think Sylvia plath knows my life exactly. I don't think I've ever read my own thoughts and feelings be explained so beautifully and precisely like Plath does. Her writing is so vibrant and poetic, even when she is discussing some very heavy topics. Its amazing that she was able to discuss the female experience so ruthlessly in the time that she did. Its insane that this book from years ago is the first ive read with passages that have made me feel so seen and understood in a way i havent felt before. I think this book found me at both the best and worst time, either way I know it's stuck with me for life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail