Girl, Interrupted Book Review
By Sofia Sahibzada
Where does the mind go when insanity starts to replace reality?. Girl, Interrupted was written in the early 1990s by Susanna Kaysen. She wrote about her experience living in McLean Hospital for almost 2 years in the late 1960s. Kaysen was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The book offers a detailed depiction of her experiences with the staff, other patients, and visitors from the outside. The main themes of this book revolve around societal expectations for teen girls, mental illness, and the transition between sane and madness.
At 18 years old, Kaysen is voluntarily admitted to McLean hospital after a short 20 minute assessment by a doctor who admitted her. The reason being a previous suicide attempt along with her self destructive tendencies. She then goes on to document a visit with her troubled boyfriend and how he gets over his trepidation of visiting the psychiatric hospital. During her stay, Kaysen explains her journey to gain privileges in the hospital like free roam and trips outside the ward. Some patients escape, getting their privileges revoked and put on lockdown. Kaysen has to go through therapy and is diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. This causes her to question her reality and what the diagnosis means for her. Finally, Kaysen writes about her life after being discharged from the hospital and her revelations about madness and what it means to go crazy.
Girl, Interrupted has a fragmented structure that tells a story in no particular order. The unorganized chapters mimic the fractured thoughts that go on in the author's mind. The book also has various medical documents from Kaysen’s stay at the hospital. All this together presents a structure showing the instability and disorientation associated with mental illness. Kaysen also questions the diagnoses of her and fellow patients in the ward. The question of what makes the women in the ward “crazy” lingers throughout the book.
In my personal opinion, I would rate this book a 9 out of 10. Girl, Interrupted has just the right amount of emotion and real-life struggle, which makes you want to keep reading. The book is also easy to put down and pick back up because the chapters do not follow a strict timeline. Each chapter can be understood on its own, so you do not need much background to follow the story. In addition, the book’s length is well balanced, keeping readers interested without feeling overwhelmed. Overall, the combination of strong emotions, clear writing, and a manageable length makes Girl, Interrupted very engaging and easy to read.
Overall, Girl, Interrupted is a powerful exploration of mental illness and the challenges of understanding one’s own mind. Through Kaysen’s personal journey, readers gain insight into the struggles and growth that come from living in a psychiatric hospital. The book’s fragmented structure and inclusion of real medical documents help convey the confusion and instability that patients experience. Its emotional depth keeps readers engaged, while the clear writing and balanced length make it easy to follow. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mental health or real-life personal stories. In conclusion, the book leaves a lasting impression by encouraging readers to think about what it truly means to be “sane” or “crazy.”