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Girl, Interrputed
Susanna Kaysen. Penguin USA: 2000. ISBN: 0679746048. 220 pages.
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About the Author
A page of detailed biographical information on Girl, Interrupted, including excerpts from
interviews in which Kaysen interprets her own work.
Kaysen spent four years writing Girl, Interrupted, and she admits that it “wasn’t a pleasure to write. It wasn’t
agony, but I had to get back to that stuff, and it put me in a terrible frame of mind. I felt very far from my old self,
and that was a source of pain, too.”
All in the Family
A synopsis of the literary traditions and genres with which Girl, Interrupted is affiliated and
a brief explanation of these connections, giving your book group the opportunity to understand Kaysen’s memoir in a larger
literary perspective.
It would seem that Van Gogh was not alone—being extraordinarily creative and a bit crazy, as it turns out, is pretty
common. This section includes information on artists and madness, a bit of background on the Vermeer painting that inspired
Kaysen’s title, and a brief look at the 1999 film version of Kaysen’s memoir.
Character Tree
A list of major characters and their dominant characteristics and values, showing characters’ relationships
to each other.
Perhaps you’re saying to yourself, hey, these aren’t characters, these are real people. After all, this is a memoir. But as
Kaysen tells her own story, she writes from her own unique perspective, highlighting certain qualities, creating specific
dialogue, and shaping a particular story for each of these people from her past.
Streams of Themes
A breakdown of potential major discussion themes in Girl, Interrupted, including ways these themes
are interconnected.
Girl, Interrupted is full of themes that question our collective definition of madness, and accordingly, many of her
themes—perception vs. reality, illusion, delusion, and truth—embrace the ambiguity that can make most of us a bit
uncomfortable.
Talk Back to the Critics
Excerpts of some major critical reviews of Girl, Interrupted from authoritative journals,
newspapers, and magazines. We encourage your book group to enjoy the opportunity to argue with expert opinion.
Most critics admire Kaysen’s courage and technique in telling her story, but at least one reviewer questions her motivation:
“Because of her seeming sanity one might want to cast aspersions on her project; she too could be accused of opportunism,
of aestheticizing and exploiting those who severely suffer from mental illness for her own profit.”
Doorways to Discussion
A chronologically and thematically organized list of discussion questions, which function to
explore, in a logical and thoughtful manner, the questions and possibilities that Girl, Interrupted evokes.
There’s lots to discuss in Girl, Interrupted, and here’s an example of the 44 questions featured in this section:
“Kaysen admits that while she expected writing Girl, Interrupted to be difficult, and it was, she was surprised at finding
so much of her experience funny. How would describe the balance between pathos and humor in her memoir?”
Taste Test
A selection of other books on subjects similar to those in Girl, Interrupted to consider for future book
group meetings or for private reading.
If you’d like to read another interesting memoir about dysfunctional behavior, other writing on the subject of insanity, or
if you enjoyed Kaysen’s depiction of an unusual, highly isolated community, we’ve included lots of books we think you’ll
enjoy!
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