Kaysen’s writing is lyrical and evocative, and her memoir is a powerful exploration of the human condition. Her experiences are both deeply personal and universally relatable, and her narrative has resonated with readers for decades.
The book begins in 1960, when Susanna Kaysen, then 18 years old, is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She is sent to McLean Hospital, a psychiatric institution in Belmont, Massachusetts, for treatment. The memoir is a recollection of her experiences during her 18-month stay at the hospital, where she is surrounded by a group of young women who are also struggling with various mental health issues. girl interrupted
The book is also a powerful critique of the psychiatric establishment of the 1960s. Kaysen is critical of the ways in which patients were treated as objects, rather than as individuals with agency and autonomy. She argues that the hospital’s approach to treatment was often punitive and dismissive, rather than supportive and empowering. Kaysen’s writing is lyrical and evocative, and her