✰✰✰✰½ When does a person cross the line from normal teenager to mental
patient? Back in 1967 Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and ended up at McLean
Hospital. Under the impression she was just going there for a little “rest,”
Susanna checked herself in at just eighteen years old and soon discovered that
she couldn’t leave until the doctors said she could. While the hospital was
progressive at the time and featured an A-list of patients including Sylvia
Plath and Ray Charles, life at McLean Hospital was anything but a
vacation.
A bewildered Susanna navigated the system while taking an endless supply
of pills, attending therapy sessions, and following the rules. Along the way
she met the other patients, each with their own mental health issues varying
from anorexia to sociopathy. Susanna herself was dealing with a diagnosis of
Borderline Personality Disorder, which she is acutely aware of and yet voices
her doubts. Nevertheless, she took advantage of the resources available to her
and was eventually able to be released from the hospital.
The Bottom Line: Although Kaysen’s experience happened in 1967, her
story is still relevant today. Kaysen included files from her case record,
which adds to the veracity of her accounts. Supplemented with anecdotes and
observations from her journal, Kaysen’s perception of mental illness and the
treatment she received provides valuable insight into life as a patient in a
mental hospital. Highly recommended for college students, mental health
professionals, and anyone interested in mental health issues.
Book Club Notes: Similar to the late 1960s, the current world is a
chaotic place overwhelmed by social issues, racism, and war. Adding in a
pandemic and the pressures of economic instability have resulted in a mental
health crisis. My hope in choosing this title was to open the door to
discussing these issues.
Although this book is slim, it is not an easy read by any means and
sensitive readers may want to skip this one. Nonetheless, those that read this
book found it worthwhile. The author’s writing is genuine and vulnerable as she
provided insight from firsthand experience. We appreciated the
straightforwardness of her writing style. The movie, on the other hand,
received mixed reviews. Those of us who had seen the movie when it first came
out over twenty years ago had very different perspectives now. The experience
was similar to the author describing Vermeer’s painting, Girl Interrupted at
her Music. Sometimes perspectives change with the experience of living.
Overall, on a scale from 1 - 5, with 5 being the highest, we rated the
book an average of 4.75, and the movie received a 4. While the movie is well
done, if you are looking for the real story, check out the book.
To help guide your discussion, check out this reading guide for thought provoking discussion questions: Penguin Random House,
Details: Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. Paperback edition published by Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, Inc. in 1993. 192 p. ISBN: 978-0-679-74604-1
