Prozac Nation (Movie Tie-In) by Elizabeth Wurtzel
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Book Reviews of Prozac Nation (Movie Tie-In)
Book Review: a fascinating read
Summary: 5 Stars
I suffered from depression for the last 2 yrs and went to a book shop to find some information when i stumbled across this book, it's a thoroughly addictive read describing very similar symtoms to my own, and i could really relate to the way Elizabeth was feeling, i managed to get through most of the book but had to leave out a chapter near the end as it was just too harrowing for me to read in my delicate state of mind.
A brilliant book that i would recommend to other depression sufferers.
Book Review: socially aware
Summary: 5 Stars
Despite what others have said I do not find this book to be too self-aware and therefore difficult to read. Wurtzel encompases the social parameters of this disease into her understanding of depression in a very complimentary way. This is more than just an account of one girls despair. Wurtzel is very aware, very informed, and her account is very engaging. A must read.Book Review: World of Darkness
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading the memoir Prozac Nation, I was left feeling a much more complex understanding for depression, which has been on ongoing struggle for Elizabeth Wurtzel throughout her life. Wurtzel wrote the book almost as a two-part biography, but with one main point - to figure out how she could escape from depression and to find the reason for her sadness, "That is all I want in life: for this pain to seem purposeful"(50.) The first part highlighted the life of Wurtzel from birth to her current years describing birthdays and people and monumental experiences. The second part reached beyond the surface of the events described and how her depression affected each one.
What she came to conclude was that one of the main factors shaping her depression was the divorce of her parents. Not only did her parents separate but also, her dad pretty much disappeared from her life as a positive figure, as he struggled with depression as well. He paid a bare minimum for her child support, refused to pay for psychologist visits, visited her minimally, but worst of all, he attempted to get Wurtzel to side with him over her mother, causing her a huge amount of grief and confusion as she stated, "What made my life different from the parable is that both of my parents did have claims. And in order to remain whole, I needed both of them, but that seemed not to be an option. Something inside me was not just depressed but dividing, cracking, splintering, pulling me back and forth between my two parents, and occasionally I wished I could walk through a picture window and have the sharp, broken shards slash me to ribbons so I would finally look like I felt"(75.)
To me, the strangest experiences were when Wurtzel would openly talk about her feelings of such hopelessness to her peers. One example of this is when she was thirteen and at camp as she listened to her Bruce Springsteen cassette and compared herself to his song "For You," as she explained that "the song is about a girl just like me who kills herself." She continues by telling Paris to "imagine only knowing that the sun is shining because you feel the ache of its awful heat and not because you know the joy of its light. Imagine being always in the dark" (61.) Throughout this memoir, Wurtzel was able to portray living in a world without light.
Book Review: Growing up with Depression
Summary: 4 Stars
"Why do anything when all of us are just slouching towards the same inevitable conclusion?" (pg 48). In Prozac Nation, author Elizabeth Wurtzel successfully articulates an honest portrayal of growing up with depression. Unafraid, she reveals her life threatening battle with depression; a disease that has affected so many Americans, yet is seldom talked about. Her refusal to hold back credits her with great ethos, as she willingly risks her likeability, "I take pleasure in the pain I cause others: My life has become a tearjerker movie, and I am glad to be having the calculated effect," (pg 49). She presents her story with two voices. The younger Elizabeth goes through her life as it happened with frequent and sometimes even contrasting reflection by the older Elizabeth. This adds great depth in her character development and progression. Her breaks in the story to somewhat diary like entries as well as her blunt uncensored language give her an appealing and personable voice, "I wanted so badly to lose myself in sex, to be thoroughly slutty and have one zipless f*** after another," (pg 160). Although sometimes appearing intolerably selfish and melodramatic, its hard not to sympathize with Elizabeth as we witness her spiral downwards, her detest for life, and her want to feel loved. This memoir also raises several current cultural questions and ideas, "In a world where the core social unit- the family- is so dispensable, how much can anything else mean?" (pg 196). Overall I found this book to be an excellent read. Its first hand account of depression provided me with great insight about this disease, its true extent, and its rising impact on our culture.Book Review: Wutzel's honest, riverting story
Summary: 4 Stars
With such a personal, crushing thing such as depression, Wurtzel opens herself up in this book in a way no other author has in a memoir. Embarrassing thoughts and actions could easily be covered up as "fiction" by other authors, but what I love about Wurtzel's writing is her complete honesty and indifference to what others think about her.
Being a product of divorced parents, myself, I really related to this book. A similar book dealing with divorce, although a piece of fiction, is CONFESSIONS OF A CATHOLIC SCHOOLGIRL, by Michelle Kane. Many pop culture references in this book as well---definitely for the GEN X audience--which most of us grew up without two parents in the home.