BOOK REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars
As many of you know, I work as a therapist in private practice. I have been fascinated by the art of therapy and the study mental health for as long as I can remember, so it’s no surprise I read books about it in my free time, too.
Girl, Interrupted was a blockbuster movie hit starring Winona Ryder in 1998. More than a hit film, Girl, Interrupted is also a memoir written by Susanna Kaysen. Susanna was 18 when she was admitted to McLean Hospital (outside of Boston) for psychiatric care. She stayed in the hospital for over a year, which is an unheard length of stay for psychiatric care in our day and time.
True to how I normally feel, I loved the book much more than the movie. There was something hauntingly beautiful about Kaysen’s prose and descriptions of her experience at the hospital (both inside her mind and what was going on around her). This book is eye opening about mental health care at the time, and begs bigger questions about how specifically women were diagnosed and treated at the time.
This book is for anyone who cares about mental health care. It will stay with you long after the last page. Highly recommend.
For fans of: Memoir, Girl on Fire, The Bell Jar, mental health history.
Okay In My Book 