The Lagoon

short stories by Frame

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June 30, 2026

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The Lagoon is a collection of short stories by Janet Frame, first published in 1951. The stories explore themes of alienation and isolation, reflecting the experiences of individuals who feel disconnected from conventional society. Frame, a prominent New Zealand writer, faced significant personal challenges, including a decade spent in psychiatric hospitals, where she endured misdiagnosis and treatments like electroconvulsive therapy. Despite these hardships, she cultivated her writing talent. The Lagoon was published while she was still a patient and is noted for expressing the insecurity of those who feel they don't fit in. The collection's publication, and Frame's subsequent literary award, ultimately prevented her from undergoing a lobotomy.12

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Janet Frame
…a patient, Frame’s first book, The Lagoon, was published. A collection of short stories, it expresses the sense of isolation and insecurity of those who feel they do not fit into a normal world. She was scheduled to have a lobotomy until hospital officials learned that she had won a…
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…a patient, Frame’s first book, The Lagoon, was published. A collection of short stories, it expresses the sense of isolation and insecurity of those who feel they do not fit into a normal world. She was scheduled to have a lobotomy until hospital officials learned that she had won a…
Read More