Prozac Nation (1994)
Elizabeth Wurtzel’s Groundbreaking Memoir
Wurtzel’s debut novel generated much buzz on its initial release for her brutally honest writing style as well as the controversial subject matter. The New York Times stated, “By turns wrenching and comical...Prozac Nation possesses the raw candor (sic) of Joan Didion’s essays, the irritating emotional exhibitionism of Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and the wry, dark humour of a Bob Dylan song.” Wurtzel’s Prozac Nation is indeed a triumph over tragedy and the author chronicles her battle with severe depression in agonising detail that is both comic and heartfelt in equal measure.
Synopsis of Prozac Nation
Wurtzel takes the reader through her painful journey of mental breakdowns, hospitalisations and psychoactive drugs, starting from her childhood to the present day. It is a fascinating story and one that is truly shocking to read. Despite being an articulate and talented child, Wurtzel depression was apparent and manifesting by the tender age of twelve. By then, Elizabeth started self harming, cutting her legs to the raw, angry sounds of The Velvet Underground. Her depression deepened by the onset of her parent’s rather hostile divorce. Despite several drugs, including Lithium, to combat Elizabeth’s fluctuating and erratic mood swings, Wurtzel’s erratic behaviour grew more and more intolerable. Finally, after a suicide attempt, Elizabeth was given the little known Prozac pill in combination with mood stabilisers to stabilise her mental illness.
Is Prozac Nation any good?
Wurtzel’s candid memoirs have attracted strong opinions from critics and fans alike. Some have blasted the author for her sheer neediness and self absorption. Others admire Wurtzel for her bravery in revealing the true extent of her battle with mental illness. Indeed, Wurtzel does come across as whiny, desperate and somewhat irritating. Her need for attention and her utter self absorption is apparent in each page. Her willingness to try to understand her illness is intriguing. One cannot describe Wurtzel as merely needy or irritating however. Wurtzel writes like her life depends on it, with an urge to truly draw the reader into her own unhappy world and she does this successfully. Her writing style is emotional, brash, honest, and raw, and in some instances incredibly angry. And so it should be when writing about a subject as emotional as severe depression. Some have even compared Prozac Nation to Plath’s The Bell Jar, which is utterly wrong. Both are completely different perspectives on depression, written in an entirely different style. Prozac Nation is a masterpiece in confessional literature.
front cover of Prozac Nation
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