kikalox's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Self harm, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Grief, and Sexism
Minor: Vomit
jlebon's review against another edition
- 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
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!
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
ruthmoog's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Body horror, Racial slurs, Sexism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Chronic illness and Infertility
Minor: Rape
livruther's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Racism, Body horror, and Death
fleursreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Mental illness, Dysphoria, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Classism, Body horror, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts
ghoulette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Minor: Suicide, Body horror, Blood, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Death
gothmiku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Sexism, Body horror, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Minor: Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Ableism
kibiiiariii's review against another edition
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Body shaming, Medical trauma, Ableism, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Death, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Grief, Mental illness, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit
mansinnikam's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Drug use, Confinement, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Mental illness, Addiction, and Racial slurs
stormykat's review
3.5
Spoiler
Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts