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Girl, Interrupted

TikTok made me buy it!
By Susanna Kaysen
Series: Virago Modern Classics
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3.94 goodreads logo

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Check link for latest rating. ( 272,053 ratings, 12,957 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Girl, Interrupted is a compelling memoir by Susanna Kaysen, which recounts her experiences as a young woman in a psychiatric hospital in the late 1960s. The narrative offers a candid and insightful exploration of mental health, institutional life, and the blurred lines between sanity and madness. Using a series of vignettes, Kaysen delves into the lives of her fellow patients, creating a poignant and thought-provoking portrait of her journey.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This memoir may appeal to you if you are interested in exploring the complexities of mental health and institutional life through a deeply personal and reflective lens. It offers an insightful glimpse into the experiences of a young woman in a psychiatric hospital during the 1960s, providing both an emotional and thought-provoking read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she'd never seen before, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen was sent to McLean Hospital to be treated for depression. She spent most of the next two years on the ward for teenage girls in a psychiatric hospital. A memoir and portrait of her fellow patients and their keepers.

* Published with film tie-in cover to coincide with film's release * Joint promotion with UK film distributor to include competitions through the national press and women's magazines * Limited film posters available for window displays * Reviews and feature coverage in national newspapers, magazines and film press

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she'd never seen before, 18-year-old Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and sent to McLean Hospital to be treated for depression. She spent most of the next two years on the ward for teenage girls in a psychiatric hospital renowned for its famous clientele - Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, James Taylor and Ray Charles.

An unflinching work that asks questions about our definitions of sane and insane, Kaysen's memoir encompasses horror and razor-edged perception while providing vivid portraits of her fellow patients and their keepers.

Girl, Interrupted offers a compelling glimpse into the complex world of mental illness and the fine line between sanity and insanity, as experienced by the author herself.

Series: Virago Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen is often compared to Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, yet it stands out with its more documentary-style narrative. The book is lauded for its gritty realism, as it captures the chaos and helplessness in a psychiatric hospital, complemented by original medical reports interspersed throughout. While lacking the poetic beauty of Plath’s prose, Kaysen's work is praised for its poignant insights, sharp wit, and its exploration of societal norms regarding mental illness. It paints a stark yet credible picture of women in the 1960s who were often misunderstood and marginalised.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781860497926

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 February 2000

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Virago Press Ltd

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 13.0mm

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 207.0mm

Weight: 158g

Pages: 192

Collections

Biography & Memoir Non-Fiction Series: Virago Modern Classics Susanna Kaysen

About the Author

Susanna Kaysen was born in 1948 and brought up in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she lives still. She has written two novels, Asa, As I Knew Him and Far Afield. While working on the latter, memories of her two year stay at McLean's psychiatric hospital began to emerge. With the help of a lawyer she obtained her 350 page file from the hospital. Girl Interrupted followed.

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