The “true story” of a woman with multiple personalities was a 1973 sensation and is still in print 50 years later. Why do such lurid tales hold their grip? By Alexandra Jacobs Turning 50 is rarely ...

In 1977, at age 13, in an age before parents patrolled children's reading, I picked up the blockbuster of the day: a true story called "Sybil" about a woman with 16 personalities. Not only did I read ...

The story of Sybil — a young woman who had been abused by her mother as a child and, as a result, had a mental breakdown and created multiple personalities — caused a sensation. Sybil was a ...