Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (Ballantine Reader's Circle) [Mass Market Paperback]

Mary Pipher Ph.D. (Author), Mary Pipher (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0345418786 | ISBN-13: 978-0345418784 | Publication Date: October 1, 2002

THREE YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST
AND MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD

When Reviving Ophelia was first published nearly a decade ago, the response was extraordinary–and Dr. Mary Pipher became one of the most sought-after speakers in the country. She posed the provocative question: Why are American adolescent girls falling prey to depression, eating disorders, and suicide attempts at an alarming rate? The answer hit a nerve. We live in a look-obsessed, sexist “girl-poisoning” culture. And despite the advances of feminism, girls continue to struggle to find their true selves.

Here are girls’ unmuted voices from the front lines of adolescence, personal and painfully honest. By laying bare their harsh day-to-day reality, Reviving Ophelia issues a call to arms and offers parents compassion, strength, and strategies with which to revive these Ophelias’ lost sense of self.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An important book . . . Pipher shines high-beam headlights on the world of teenage girls.”
–Los Angeles Times

“A vibrant and insightful account . . . The loss of the spirit which Dr. Pipher so brilliantly portrays is the loss of the American spirit.”
–DR. NATALIE PORTER
Former president, Division of the Psychology of Women,
American Psychological Association

From the Inside Flap

THREE YEARS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST
AND MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD

When Reviving Ophelia was first published nearly a decade ago, the response was extraordinary?and Dr. Mary Pipher became one of the most sought-after speakers in the country. She posed the provocative question: Why are American adolescent girls falling prey to depression, eating disorders, and suicide attempts at an alarming rate? The answer hit a nerve. We live in a look-obsessed, sexist ?girl-poisoning? culture. And despite the advances of feminism, girls continue to struggle to find their true selves.

Here are girls? unmuted voices from the front lines of adolescence, personal and painfully honest. By laying bare their harsh day-to-day reality, Reviving Ophelia issues a call to arms and offers parents compassion, strength, and strategies with which to revive these Ophelias? lost sense of self.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 370 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345418786
• ISBN-13: 978-0345418784
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,756 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviving Ophelia: A wake up call, June 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Mass Market Paperback)

Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher is a wakeup call to the millions of people that are contributing to the deterioration of the teenage girl. Reviving Ophelia should definitely be read by every single young female and their parents. In fact, any person who cares about a teenage girl should read this novel. Reviving Ophelia is a book that describes the obstacles that young females are faced with today. Pipher explains why so many young girls have eating disorders. Pipher also focuses on why our culture is not a healthy environment for young females. For instance, there is too much stress on being pretty, skinny, and perfect. Young girls are overwhelmed by this pressure and are therefore, developing into someone who they are not. Pipher uses various scenerios to display how perfectly healthy female children develop into disturbed, unhealthy adolescence. Pipher does an excellent job and truly cares about helping the numbers of teenage girls that are suffering.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It was very helpful, readable, eye-opening, August 5, 2003

By 

Elizabeth (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a 23 year old woman and read this book when I was in high school. I very much identified with much of what Pipher deals with in the book and feel like it is quite on target for many middle-class white girls/teenagers. Other readers are correct in pointing out that she does not deal enough with the "chemical" element of depression, nor does she deal enough with the struggles of non-white girls or those who struggle with poverty. Certainly the book addresses a somewhat narrow audience. Yes, it could be interpreted as if depression and struggles were primarily environmental. However, even with a predisposition toward depression, many things can aggravate that, and I believe the book deals well with those things.

Girls can deal with a predisposition toward depression in many ways-- by maintaining self-confidence in the face of super-thin models and the media bombardment that tells girls and women not to be happy with their bodies and looks, by developing strength by understanding their own bodies and sexuality, through familial support and empathy.

I very much suggest that parents of girls/young women between the ages of 7-18 read this book. No it doesn't give the answers to everything, but I believe it does illuminate many of the struggles and challenges that girls face as they move into the teenage years. It was very helpful for me to read it as a teenager and for my parents to read it. It helped to articulate a lot of the emptiness, sadness and awkwardness I felt as I grew into young womanhood, but I couldn't exactly explain why.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Start asking questions..., April 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is not to provide the parents of teenage girls with all the answers. Instead, it's a call to all of us to open our eyes to the pressures and concerns of our teenage daughters (and sons, for that matter) and start asking the questions. It is arrogant and dangerous to assume that our own daughters will escape unharmed from this difficult time.

I was especially surprised while reading this book how my own adolescent "challenges" came back to me. As I look back on my life, it's amazing how many important, pivotal moments occurred during the fog of my teenage years. It has given me renewed passion to do all that I can to be supportive, understanding and available for my children.

I recommend this book to anyone who isn't afraid to look back at their life and look forward to our future. Ask the questions...