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lucakocsis's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.75
I did not know what to expect before reading this book but I was surprised to say the least. I do not see how it is an esteemed piece of literature nor do I see the value in reading it for any demographic. Sylvia Plath's thoughts are only interesting out of context (if ever) and I can hardly believe her works are considered feminist literature. She has no respect for anyone (women included) and would have not cared about the rights and fate of any marginalized group. This book was moreso an insight to a narcissistic person's mind who provokes no emotions or sympathy from the reader. And becau e there's so many 5 star reviews I'd like to pull some of my "favourite" quotes from the book:
Then my ears went funny, and I noticed a big, smudgy-eyed Chinese woman staring idiotically into my face. It was only me, of course.
I'm not sure why it is, but I love food more than just about anything else. No matter how much I eat, I never put on weight.
Avocados are my favourite fruit.
I hate technicolour. Everybody in a technicolour movie seems to feel obliged to wear a lurid new costume in each new scene and to stand around like a clothes-horse with a lot of very green trees or very yellow wheat or very blue ocean rolling away for miles and miles in every direction.
I was so busy thinking how very fat he was and how unfortunate it must be for a man and especially a young man to be fat, because what woman could stand leaning over that big stomach to kiss him, that it didn't immediately realize what this student had said to me was an insult.
'Well what do you say?'
' I said Gladys was free, white and twenty-one.'
I thought the TB (tuberculosis) might just be a punishment for living the kind of double life Buddy lived and feeling so superior to people.
He could almost have been an American, he was so tan and had such good teeth, but I could tell straight away that he wasn't.
I'd always spoil what I did so nobody would ask me to do it again.
She was a fat, middle-aged woman with dyed red hair and suspiciously thick lips and rat-coloured skin
But everything concave about Buddy had suddenly turned convex. A pot belly swelled under the thight white nylon shirt and his cheeks were round and ruddy as marzipan fruit. Even his laugh sounded plump.
'He's from Peru.'
'They're squat,' I said. 'They're ugly as aztecs.'
The face in the mirror looked like a sick Indian.
My grey suitcase rode on the rack over my head, empty except for The Thirty Best Short Stories of the Year, a white plastic sunglasses case and two dozen avocado pears, a parting present from Doreen.
I peered at him from the corner of my eye. He didn't look a day over sixteen.
'Do you know how old I am?' I said accusingly. The sailor grinned at me. 'Nope, and I don't care either.' It occurred to me that this sailor was really remarkably handsome. He looked Nordic and virginal.
Once, on a hot summer night, I had spent an hour kissing a hairy, ape-shaped law student form Yale because I felt sorry for him, he was so ugly.
His name was Cal, which I thought must be short for something, but I couldn't think what it would be short for, unless it was California.
Then I rode from the table, passing round to the side where the nurse couldn't see me below the waist, and behind the negro, who was clearing the dirty plates. I drew my foot back and gave him a sharp, hard kick on the calf of the leg.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Excrement
gilnean's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Excrement, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Murder
tessjx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Vomit
lucy_readsbooks13's review against another edition
dark
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? N/A
4.25
To be honest, I'm a bit confused, not by the book, but by the impression it made.
I love the writing, and while episodes where she goes in past confused me at the beginning (English is not my first language, yet I read it in English) it was easy to get used to, very approachable and simple to understand.
Some of the moments in the book, resonated deep with me, and I felt confronted and comforted by the same passages, yet, I cannot bring myself to rate it 5 stars.
My first thought, after finishing the book was that the main character, Esther was very underdeveloped, and that every single story could've been more explained and more details added, but thinking back on it, that sort of approach has so much more sense, to me at least.
In a manner, while struggling with the same things she struggles with, things really are that "shallow" and there is nothing beneath the surface, not because everything is hollow and pointless, but the lack of energy to look any further holds me back on wondering and involving myself in life.
All in all, truly a good book and I definitely recommend reading it, it packs a punch and is easy to understand, while being, in a way, complex. The status it has is definitely deserved.
I love the writing, and while episodes where she goes in past confused me at the beginning (English is not my first language, yet I read it in English) it was easy to get used to, very approachable and simple to understand.
Some of the moments in the book, resonated deep with me, and I felt confronted and comforted by the same passages, yet, I cannot bring myself to rate it 5 stars.
My first thought, after finishing the book was that the main character, Esther was very underdeveloped, and that every single story could've been more explained and more details added, but thinking back on it, that sort of approach has so much more sense, to me at least.
In a manner, while struggling with the same things she struggles with, things really are that "shallow" and there is nothing beneath the surface, not because everything is hollow and pointless, but the lack of energy to look any further holds me back on wondering and involving myself in life.
All in all, truly a good book and I definitely recommend reading it, it packs a punch and is easy to understand, while being, in a way, complex. The status it has is definitely deserved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, and Vomit