A short, very real memoir (Girl, Interrupted - Susanna Kaysen)

Member Name: lula739

Product:	Girl, Interrupted - Susanna Kaysen
Date:	19/07/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Drags you in

Disadvantages: Short

I was recently told I 'just must see' a film. I immediately asked if there was a book I could read instead. This, is how I can about to read Girl, Interrupted.
I've read several books that have centred around an individual's struggle with mental health, and I am always fascinated and moved by the hardship people have endured either through stigma, or just battling against their 'inner demons'.
However, the circumstances in which Susanna came to find herself in the psychiatric hospital is a truly unnerving tale that unfortunately was a very common affair in the '60s and earlier.
Girl, Interrupted is a very short (only 168 pages) account of an adolescent's time in the infamous McLean Hospital that has homed other notable celebrities such as Sylvia Plath and Ray Charles. It's a harrowing tale that easily encroaches your mind, leaving you contemplating the many issues posed within the narrative.
If, like me, you love to get engrossed into a very real book, then I highly recommend. However, if you feel you can't manage the 168 pages, the film is also brilliant (I did get round to watching it eventually!) and deserves a watch regardless.

Summary: Worth a read if you have limited time