2 ms·
The question is a bit more complicated than just belittling someone's disorder. Wurtzel wrote Prozac Nation, which was nominally an account of her own depressi
by Bartweiss 10y ago
The question is a bit more complicated than just belittling someone's disorder.
Wurtzel wrote Prozac Nation, which was nominally an account of her own depression and a broader reflection what personal struggles with depression look like in America. It was widely seen as revealing but unpleasantly self-indulgent and unreflective of common experiences with depression.
That might clarify why DFW, struggling with depression himself, was rather less than kind to Wurtzel and her book. Narcissism is something to sympathize with, certainly, but seeing a popular book portray narcissism and a rather entitled life as representative of depression put a lot of people's hackles up. The context, and the move from "disorder" to "book about having a different disorder", are vital.
None of which is a simple endorsement of DFW, but it's at least worthwhile context for the piece.