Girl, Interrupted

Author: Susanna Kaysen
Genre: autobiography

This is a harrowing story of a teenage girl, diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and sent to a mental institution. It describes her experiences within the institution, with other girls and how she recovered and went back into the world.

They say great work of art requires a bit of madness. This book completely justifies the statement. I have never seen the inner ravings of the mind put in to words more beautifully. Through the book, the author has managed to touch upon some very difficult topics like insanity, consciousness, the mind, very elegantly. The book is full of sentences that will just touch your heart.

I personally loved the style of writing: simple and elegant. The exquisite detail with which the writer depicts her own debates and conflicts about her sanity are truly amazing. It may redefine your perceptions about sanity and self-awareness.

I would highly recommend this book to any fiction lover, anyone mildly interested in the workings of the mind or philosophy in general.

PS: The movie by the same name is really good too. That how I first came to know of this book!