Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (1994-04-19), Girl

Girl, interrupted is an incredible book, the way that the author describes situations draws you right in until it feels as though you are living through her experience's with being "crazy". Although what the other characters are feeling is often not said blatantly, the reader still understands and connects with what they're feeling, over all it was a brilliant book!

I was interested in reading Girl, Interrupted after seeing the movie. The film definitely does to justice to the story of Susanna Kaysen, but to really get inside Kaysen's mind, it is necessary to read the book.

I was interested in reading Girl, Interrupted after seeing the movie. The film definitely does to justice to the story of Susanna Kaysen, but to really get inside Kaysen's mind, it is necessary to read the book.

In this provocative true story, Kaysen tells of her experience as an eighteen-year-old patient in a psychiatric hospital in the late 1960s. Four months after running away from her Princeton, NJ, home, Kaysen committed herself to McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in an affluent suburb of Boston where many famous poets and musicians have been treated. There she was diagnosed as having a borderline personality, which is, as she describes as an adult, "a way station between neurosis and psychosis: a fractured but not disassembled psyche." The doctor who referred Kaysen to McLean described her as profoundly depressed and leading an increasingly patternless life. Recent activities in her life had included: a relationship with her high school English teacher; attempted suicide; running away from her parent's home to live in a boarding house in Cambridge, MA; and taking up with a boyfriend she describes as troublesome.

The doctor, who Kaysen met only once, told her she would be at McLean for a few weeks, but she spent close to two years there. During that time she developed close friendships with several of the other teenaged patients who had a wide range of problems including drug addiction, eating disorders, and a history of sexual abuse. The friendships they formed resemble the close ties that many teenage girls have with each other. You could forget for a few minutes that they were not in the dorm room of a prep school or college as they leisurely passed the time watching television and talking about boyfriends. But these girls were in a very different place with a complete lack of privacy. They were not allowed to leave the ward, open a window, or even shave their legs without supervision. It became apparent throughout the book, though, that many patients in the ward did not want to leave the safety of the hospital.

Although the subject of the book is intense, Kaysen's sincerity and humor soften the tragedy of the situation. At other times, however, this same sincerity and humor seem to amplify the heartbreaking situation of Kaysen's interrupted girlhood. Her deep intelligent reflections of her experiences at McLean and the way they so dramatically differ from what her records indicate make the book difficult to put down.

The book arrived on time, but was in HORRIBLE condition (It looked like someone dropped it in a puddle or something) though it was listed as being in good condition.

The condition of the book i received was great, it looked as though it had never even been read before and had just been sitting on someones shelf. Although i thought that it would have a cover, it didn't and the book was just plain black. However that did not interfere with the content of the book- which was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and finished it so quickly because i enjoyed it that much, and im not a very fast reader.

A fascinating insight into the psychiatric institutions and practices in the USA in the 1960s. A teenage girl's interaction with that system and consequent questionning as to what constitutes the delineation between madness and sanity.

I always watch the movies first then read the book, so I don't become disappointed. Because the book is always better then the movie. But the book was so well put together taught me a little more about the many different kinds of mental illness.

Susanna Kaysen writes with such a raw and realistic point of view on what goes on inside the mind of someone with Borderline Personality Disorder. A must-read memoir if you are currently struggling with your sense of self.

I don't recommend reading if you have an unstable mind, it definitely gets you thinking about everything.Really good, and it's strongly comparable to the movie.I seriously enjoyed the book, think others would too. If you haven't yet, buy it. delivery was 3 day max.

This book was fantastic. She writes in a way where you can feel you are right there with her. It's a quick read, and it's worth ordering the movie too and watching it when you finish the book, both are AMAZING.

This is a quick read, but a thought provoking one. Kaysen does a beautiful job of helping the reader understand the illness and struggle she faced. Wrought with humor, sorrow, and surprise this book is a must read.

Very very helpful for a bpd patient. And a interesting story for everyone. Wish it was longer, I finished this book in a few hours and wanted to know more about "that place", their lives, after, everything.