There were of course notorious books before this, like ‘Go Ask Alice’ by Anonymous, a searing account of abuse and drugs set around the sixties counterculture, and seemingly a true story. There was ‘Valley of the Dolls’ (sex,drugs, hippies -but fictional) Then there was Pamela Des Barres and her groupie memoir, ‘I’m With the Band’. But the late Elizabeth Wurtzel broke the mould with Prozac Nation.
Wurtzel was different. She was Harvard *and* Yale educated, and had ambitions beyond sleeping with rock stars, although she did hang out with cool bands. Prozac Nation felt unique. It was unvarnished, it didn’t ask to be liked, as Wurtzel spiralled into depression, self destructive behaviour and anxiety. Its soundtrack was Hole, Nirvana and Butthole Surfers, with an arched, pierced, eyebrow.
Like Rose Troche, Douglas Coupland or Richard Linklater, her bratty, confessional style spoke to a generation who felt under -represented, smart but unhappy with the prevailing nineties culture of conservatism. Of course grunge and riot grrrl was a welcome antidote: young people screaming their dissatisfaction at a world full of reactionaries, all of whom seemed resistant to change.
But as many critics noted, she was a white, middle class woman whose prose could be incredibly self -indulgent. It’s probably a fair assessment, but there’s still a lot to like in this book: it’s a vivid account of a divided America, as much as ‘sadgirl’ memoir. She wasn’t ever a Plath or a Coupland, but it still holds up well – bratty and engaging. Prozac Nation seemed to anticipate the oversharing culture of the noughties She would have undoubtedly been witty on Instagram and X these days, had she been young enough to be an influencer. Sadly, she passed away in 2020.
Hit The North 