Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted is a beautiful, complex story that truly led the way on opening up a new, brave, nuanced approach to talking about women’s mental health. It is an intense and personal story that taps into a universal truth about how the world responds to complicated young women – Scarlett CurtisPoignant, honest and triumphantly funny … A compelling and heartbreaking story * New York Times Book Review *A cool, elegant and unexpectedly funny memoir * The Times *Memorable and stirring … Fascinating. A powerful examination not only of Kaysen’s own imperfections but of those of the system that diagnosed her * Vogue *Not since Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar has a personal account of life in a mental hospital achieved as much popularity and acclaim * Time *Intelligent and painful * Guardian *Girl, Interrupted is superb, poignant and more powerful for its lack of romantic inflation, whining, or self-congratulation * Scotland on Sunday *

Susanna Kaysen (1948) was brought up in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she still lives. 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.