Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

66 reviews

vivvs's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

i am i am i am

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, and Homophobia

erinpoo's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

sylvia plath is everything to me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Minor: Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

manishasaha's review

dark mysterious 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

3.5

I guess I could understand those who are head over heels obsessed with this book, but it simply did not strike me the same. For a book often championed as a modern classic in feminist literature, it fell short in many ways. It had many moments of racism and xenophobia. Perhaps it is simply through lack of personal relatability, but the descent into madness seems a little incredulous. Whilst I understand this is semi autobiographical, it did not evoke any real emotion to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

lumiix's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Rape, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racism, Suicide, Self harm, Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Death, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, and Fatphobia

rcsreads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Mental illness, and Self harm

Moderate: Racial slurs, Medical content, and Sexual content

bzzzzzz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Sylvia Plath's writing is magnetic. Yet, given her state of mind, it comes as no surprise that this book is devoid of love, hope, or joy. I think art needs touches of these things to truly be a masterpiece. Also, it has a tragically distorted view of sex.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Torture, Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, and Toxic relationship

helen777's review against another edition

dark emotional 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

vipsahtanut's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

3.25

Read the trigger warnings, if I knew what was coming I wouldn't have read the book. A good piece of literature, but shouldn't be recommended to everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Confinement, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Medical content

jlebon's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

5.0

My copy of this book is absolutely full to the brim of underlined and highlighted passages, dog-eared pages and protruding tabs - which is undoubtedly a great barometer for how good a book is.

Sylvia Plath was a master with words and, in the novels best passages, you can tell (without prior knowledge) that she was first and foremost a poet and secondly a novelist. Her use of language is so evocative and makes you stop and reread her beautiful prose over and over again. I found myself savouring every letter printed in this book.

Narratively, this book is fundamentally very dark in places - morbid in the protagonist's (Esther's) approach to life. And yet this was strangely comforting for me in places. I would be lying if I didn't say there were points in the novel that I related to, with the book feeling as if you're contained within the character's head - much like a person contained within a bell jar you could say. Therefore it feels as if Plath is just sometimes writing what most people think but don't say. It is also nice to read about a protagonist who initially seems to all her life in order, before it slowly crumbling away before her.

A criticism could be levelled that the novel lacks depth within the plot, basically just focusing on the psychology of one individual. However, I do think this works perfectly in unifying the protagonist and reader - seeing what she sees and hearing what she thinks. 

I would love to reread this book again, at a less busy period, where I can dedicate time more regularly to devour this book once more. And who knows, maybe that will increase my already high valuation of this book even further.

Up there as an all-time favourite for me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Body horror

jimmyvini's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Very intense and really drags you in, and very realistic portrayals of mental illness and depression. It definitely made me feel for Sylvia Plath, knowing she died shortly after this book was published. 
The constant racism permeating almost every chapter made it an extremely difficult read and made it near impossible to sympathise with the main character throughout.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt