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The Yellow Wall-Paper
'The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing.'
Written with barely controlled fury after she was confined to her room for 'nerves' and forbidden to write, Gilman's pioneering feminist horror story scandalized nineteenth-century readers with its portrayal of a woman who loses her mind because she has literally nothing to do.
Also contains The Rocking-Chair and Old Water.
Written with barely controlled fury after she was confined to her room for 'nerves' and forbidden to write, Gilman's pioneering feminist horror story scandalized nineteenth-century readers with its portrayal of a woman who loses her mind because she has literally nothing to do.
Also contains The Rocking-Chair and Old Water.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1892
About the author
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
730 books1,541 followersCharlotte Perkins Gilman, also known as Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was a prominent American sociologist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, and a lecturer for social reform. She was a utopian feminist during a time when her accomplishments were exceptional for women, and she served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. Her best remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper", which she wrote after a severe bout of post-partum depression.
She was the daughter of Frederic B. Perkins.
She was the daughter of Frederic B. Perkins.
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April 12, 2018
Here follows the diary of a moronic Victorian husband.
>Three days before treatment:
I’ve got a great idea. My wife is suffering from low mood. So I, being an extremely practical Victorian man, have decided that the best solution for the problem is to restrain her in the house. This is clearly a brilliant idea. Our marriage simply doesn’t restrain her faculties enough.
It makes sense you see. I got the idea from the prestigious Dr. Silas Mitchell. He describing what he calls his "rest cure" for hysterical women, wrote, "I do not permit the patient to sit up or to sew or write or read. The only action allowed is that needed to clean the teeth." At the end of six weeks to two months of such treatment, he says the women would be good as new. So I’m going to try this on my wife. Can you not see the sheer intellect behind the idea? This will solve everything just you wait and see.
>1 day into treatment:
I’ve restricted my wife’s freedom incredibly. I direct her every action for her own safety. She eats what I tell her, when I tell her. And she has to stay in our bedroom all day. This will soon be over; she only has a temporary nervous depression. She babbles on to me about her problems at night. I don’t have time for them. I’m a man you see. So that means respectability and shutting down any sign of emotion. I told her to go to sleep, this will soon be over.
>7 days into treatment:
I caught my wife writing in a journal. What an impetuous woman she is! Does she not understand that these restrictions are for her own safety? I do this because I must have a trophy wife. In public we must be seen as a successful couple with an air of respectability. She can’t be jotting down such nonsense and expressing her thoughts. I told her to stop. She doesn’t need the distraction. She needs to be well again, for my sake.
>14 days into treatment:
My wife has taken a turn for the worse. She barely eats and she just sleeps all day. She says she needs a vocation; she needs something to do to pass the time, and test her intellects. What silly notions. What she clearly needs is more restriction. That’s the only way she will get over her aliment. She keeps talking about the wallpaper, says she wants the room decorated because it feels like a prison. She says it reminds her of bars. I cannot be doing with it, I told her to go to sleep. I’ve got man things to do in the morning.
>30 days into treatment:
My wife has gone mad. I think she will have to be locked away. I entered the room and what I beheld was sheer depravity. Such animalistic behaviour, I passed out. I could not bear the sight. The treatment did not work. I should have restricted her more. She had far too much excitement, locked in the house all day with that extremely entertaining wallpaper. I should have left her in darkness. That would have worked.
Note to self- Tell Dr. Silas Mitchell of this discovery.
**************************************************************
The truly scary thing about this story is how real it is. This is the rest cure Victorian women were subjected to, and the journal I wrote here is the ridiculous rationale that drove it. The author of this story was actually administered this “cure.” Her own experienced informed her narrator’s perspective. It’s terrible that something like this had to be written to show how stupid these ideas were. This is a very powerful story, and this was a very stupid husband.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 42
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
>Three days before treatment:
I’ve got a great idea. My wife is suffering from low mood. So I, being an extremely practical Victorian man, have decided that the best solution for the problem is to restrain her in the house. This is clearly a brilliant idea. Our marriage simply doesn’t restrain her faculties enough.
It makes sense you see. I got the idea from the prestigious Dr. Silas Mitchell. He describing what he calls his "rest cure" for hysterical women, wrote, "I do not permit the patient to sit up or to sew or write or read. The only action allowed is that needed to clean the teeth." At the end of six weeks to two months of such treatment, he says the women would be good as new. So I’m going to try this on my wife. Can you not see the sheer intellect behind the idea? This will solve everything just you wait and see.
>1 day into treatment:
I’ve restricted my wife’s freedom incredibly. I direct her every action for her own safety. She eats what I tell her, when I tell her. And she has to stay in our bedroom all day. This will soon be over; she only has a temporary nervous depression. She babbles on to me about her problems at night. I don’t have time for them. I’m a man you see. So that means respectability and shutting down any sign of emotion. I told her to go to sleep, this will soon be over.
>7 days into treatment:
I caught my wife writing in a journal. What an impetuous woman she is! Does she not understand that these restrictions are for her own safety? I do this because I must have a trophy wife. In public we must be seen as a successful couple with an air of respectability. She can’t be jotting down such nonsense and expressing her thoughts. I told her to stop. She doesn’t need the distraction. She needs to be well again, for my sake.
>14 days into treatment:
My wife has taken a turn for the worse. She barely eats and she just sleeps all day. She says she needs a vocation; she needs something to do to pass the time, and test her intellects. What silly notions. What she clearly needs is more restriction. That’s the only way she will get over her aliment. She keeps talking about the wallpaper, says she wants the room decorated because it feels like a prison. She says it reminds her of bars. I cannot be doing with it, I told her to go to sleep. I’ve got man things to do in the morning.
>30 days into treatment:
My wife has gone mad. I think she will have to be locked away. I entered the room and what I beheld was sheer depravity. Such animalistic behaviour, I passed out. I could not bear the sight. The treatment did not work. I should have restricted her more. She had far too much excitement, locked in the house all day with that extremely entertaining wallpaper. I should have left her in darkness. That would have worked.
Note to self- Tell Dr. Silas Mitchell of this discovery.
**************************************************************
The truly scary thing about this story is how real it is. This is the rest cure Victorian women were subjected to, and the journal I wrote here is the ridiculous rationale that drove it. The author of this story was actually administered this “cure.” Her own experienced informed her narrator’s perspective. It’s terrible that something like this had to be written to show how stupid these ideas were. This is a very powerful story, and this was a very stupid husband.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 42
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
April 15, 2020
MY SKIN IS CLEAR.
MY CROPS ARE WATERED.
MY BILLS ARE PAID.
These moments are rare but reading Charlotte's short stories actually restored my faith in humanity. I'm still shook. I haven't read much feminist literature but I can already tell that I have been missing out. Hot damn. This woman gets it. I can't wrap my head around the fact that she was born in 1860 and managed to write these three little gems which are still so relevant up to this day.
The first story The Yellow Wall-Paper explores the role of women in America at the time. Charlotte Perkins Gilman explored issues such as the lack of a life outside the home and the oppressive forces of the patriarchal society. She also examines the attitude toward mental illnesses. Charlotte herself had suffered years of depression and consulted a well-known specialist physician who prescribed a "rest cure" which required her to "live as domestic a life as possible". She was forbidden to touch pen, pencil, or brush, and was allowed only two hours of mental stimulation a day.
After three months and almost desperate, Gilman decided to contravene her diagnosis and started to work again. After realizing how close she had come to complete mental breakdown, she wrote The Yellow Wallpaper with additions and exaggerations to illustrate her own misdiagnosis complaint. She sent a copy to Mitchell but never received a response. This woman is such a savage!
This story has been interpreted by feminist critics as a condemnation of the male control of the 19th-century medical profession. The narrator's suggestions about her recuperation (that she should work instead of rest, engage with society instead of remaining isolated, attempt to be a mother instead of being separated entirely from her child, etc.) are dismissed out of hand using language that stereotypes her as irrational and, therefore, unqualified to offer ideas about her own condition. It was so infuriating to see how stuck up her husband and her doctor were. Argh! Enough to drive one mad. ;)
Additionally, the story had such a creepy atmosphere, it was amazing. Charlotte wrote in a very atmospheric fashion and she managed to encapuslate feeling trapped and misunderstood so well. I was rooting for our main protagonist throughout the whole story. And that ending, man, I am still shook:
The second short story The Rocking-Chair examines the common problem of men being in love with the idea of woman rather than the woman herself; and in the same breath, Charlotte is exploring the theme of obsession and entitlement. Our two male leads take refuge at a house which is inhabited by an old landlady and her beautiful mysterious daughter. Both men become completely obsessed with the latter and want to win her over.
Many supernatural elements come into play and both of them are torn apart due to jealousy, love and hate. One day as Maurice is coming home, he spots Hal and the golden-haired girl rocking on the chair together. When Maurice races up to the room, only to find Hal alone in the rocking-chair, he demands to see the girl at once. Hal implies that Maurice is crazy and he was never with the girl and he has never spoken to her, and that he has spotted her with him on numerous occasions.
Their fight results in their seperation. When Maurice returns to the hose later, he searches in every room to find no trace of the girl. He goes back to his and Hal’s room to find Hal laying dead beneath the window, with three gashes from the rocking chair. Maurice hears the whispered laugh of the girl once more and flee’s from terror. So basically we're dealing with a badass ghost lady who taunts men and uses their feelings of entitlement to her own advantage. YAAAAAAAS!
My favorite short story was definitely the last one though, Old Water. Like no other story I have read, it shows a man's obsession with someone he thinks he loves, idolizing her and consequently causing distress for all involved. Deconstructing the idea that idolizing a woman is a good thing, Old Water almost brutally deals with the consequences of this act. As the male protagonist lavishes unwanted attention upon the heroine, basking in her "unformed mind" which he can perfect, the reader is made aware of his delusion by Perkins Gilman and finds themselves more than relieved at the heroine's escape. I won't spoil it here but the ending still has me hollering. I never laughed so hard in my life whilst also feeling so empowered.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman is such a gifted writer and I highly appreciate that she had the guts to dismantle the patriarchy back in the 19th century like GURL SO MUCH RESPECT! I will most definitely check out her novel Herland and some of her poems. If she's always this brilliant and on point, she might become a new favorite!
MY CROPS ARE WATERED.
MY BILLS ARE PAID.
These moments are rare but reading Charlotte's short stories actually restored my faith in humanity. I'm still shook. I haven't read much feminist literature but I can already tell that I have been missing out. Hot damn. This woman gets it. I can't wrap my head around the fact that she was born in 1860 and managed to write these three little gems which are still so relevant up to this day.
The first story The Yellow Wall-Paper explores the role of women in America at the time. Charlotte Perkins Gilman explored issues such as the lack of a life outside the home and the oppressive forces of the patriarchal society. She also examines the attitude toward mental illnesses. Charlotte herself had suffered years of depression and consulted a well-known specialist physician who prescribed a "rest cure" which required her to "live as domestic a life as possible". She was forbidden to touch pen, pencil, or brush, and was allowed only two hours of mental stimulation a day.
After three months and almost desperate, Gilman decided to contravene her diagnosis and started to work again. After realizing how close she had come to complete mental breakdown, she wrote The Yellow Wallpaper with additions and exaggerations to illustrate her own misdiagnosis complaint. She sent a copy to Mitchell but never received a response. This woman is such a savage!
This story has been interpreted by feminist critics as a condemnation of the male control of the 19th-century medical profession. The narrator's suggestions about her recuperation (that she should work instead of rest, engage with society instead of remaining isolated, attempt to be a mother instead of being separated entirely from her child, etc.) are dismissed out of hand using language that stereotypes her as irrational and, therefore, unqualified to offer ideas about her own condition. It was so infuriating to see how stuck up her husband and her doctor were. Argh! Enough to drive one mad. ;)
Additionally, the story had such a creepy atmosphere, it was amazing. Charlotte wrote in a very atmospheric fashion and she managed to encapuslate feeling trapped and misunderstood so well. I was rooting for our main protagonist throughout the whole story. And that ending, man, I am still shook:
'I've got out at last,' said I, 'in spite of you and Jane! And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!'Holy fucking shit! Talk about a woman finally breaking free and LITERALLY trampling on her husband (as he lies unconscious on the floor lmao). I am living!
The second short story The Rocking-Chair examines the common problem of men being in love with the idea of woman rather than the woman herself; and in the same breath, Charlotte is exploring the theme of obsession and entitlement. Our two male leads take refuge at a house which is inhabited by an old landlady and her beautiful mysterious daughter. Both men become completely obsessed with the latter and want to win her over.
Many supernatural elements come into play and both of them are torn apart due to jealousy, love and hate. One day as Maurice is coming home, he spots Hal and the golden-haired girl rocking on the chair together. When Maurice races up to the room, only to find Hal alone in the rocking-chair, he demands to see the girl at once. Hal implies that Maurice is crazy and he was never with the girl and he has never spoken to her, and that he has spotted her with him on numerous occasions.
Their fight results in their seperation. When Maurice returns to the hose later, he searches in every room to find no trace of the girl. He goes back to his and Hal’s room to find Hal laying dead beneath the window, with three gashes from the rocking chair. Maurice hears the whispered laugh of the girl once more and flee’s from terror. So basically we're dealing with a badass ghost lady who taunts men and uses their feelings of entitlement to her own advantage. YAAAAAAAS!
My favorite short story was definitely the last one though, Old Water. Like no other story I have read, it shows a man's obsession with someone he thinks he loves, idolizing her and consequently causing distress for all involved. Deconstructing the idea that idolizing a woman is a good thing, Old Water almost brutally deals with the consequences of this act. As the male protagonist lavishes unwanted attention upon the heroine, basking in her "unformed mind" which he can perfect, the reader is made aware of his delusion by Perkins Gilman and finds themselves more than relieved at the heroine's escape. I won't spoil it here but the ending still has me hollering. I never laughed so hard in my life whilst also feeling so empowered.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman is such a gifted writer and I highly appreciate that she had the guts to dismantle the patriarchy back in the 19th century like GURL SO MUCH RESPECT! I will most definitely check out her novel Herland and some of her poems. If she's always this brilliant and on point, she might become a new favorite!
July 24, 2020
2020 The Reading Rush day 4: Read a book that starts with the word “The”.
★★★ /5
Sadly I didn‘t like as much as I thought I would. It's still a good read but my expectations were too high.
★★★ /5
Sadly I didn‘t like as much as I thought I would. It's still a good read but my expectations were too high.
June 21, 2018
First read: 2014, Rating: 5 stars
Second read: August 2016, Rating: 5 stars
This is one of my all time favourite stories, and rereading it served to remind me why!
The haunting and chilling tale is told so profoundly, evocatively and beautifully in such a short number of words and every time I read this, I am transported into the tale: I become the haunted and unnamed female protagonist and the unsettling effect of the novels permeates into my own reality. Her demise into madness becomes my own.
What strikes me most about this novel is how it portrays the treatment towards mental maladies and the patients suffering from them. It is such a historically overlooked predicament and is presented as such in this individual case. The protagonist's illness is allowed to manifest and culminate in this Gothic tale so that it feels almost paranormal at its pinnacle.
The past treatment of both the female body and the mind are sensitive subjects that are allowed to be dissected in the modern consciousness though historical artifacts such as this. This is a short but powerful masterpiece, in which Perkins Gilman offers a valuable insight into oppression and madness.
Second read: August 2016, Rating: 5 stars
This is one of my all time favourite stories, and rereading it served to remind me why!
The haunting and chilling tale is told so profoundly, evocatively and beautifully in such a short number of words and every time I read this, I am transported into the tale: I become the haunted and unnamed female protagonist and the unsettling effect of the novels permeates into my own reality. Her demise into madness becomes my own.
What strikes me most about this novel is how it portrays the treatment towards mental maladies and the patients suffering from them. It is such a historically overlooked predicament and is presented as such in this individual case. The protagonist's illness is allowed to manifest and culminate in this Gothic tale so that it feels almost paranormal at its pinnacle.
The past treatment of both the female body and the mind are sensitive subjects that are allowed to be dissected in the modern consciousness though historical artifacts such as this. This is a short but powerful masterpiece, in which Perkins Gilman offers a valuable insight into oppression and madness.
January 9, 2016
This post is part of the 2015 Classics Challenge.
WHEN I Discovered This Classic
I discovered it while browsing Penguin's Little Black Classics. I've always been interested in mental illness and discussions about mental illness – including taking two 'Madness and Society' courses at university – and so it seemed like a great one to try out. I bought it alongside The Old Nurse's Story .
WHY I Chose to Read It
I wanted to read an 'old' classic in April and because I've been quite a slow reader this year compared to normal, I also wanted something short and swift – it was the perfect choice!
WHAT Makes It A Classic
I hadn't heard of The Yellow Wall-Paper before picking it up, so I wasn't aware it was a classic. I can see now that it was ahead of its time; it was seen as 'horrifying' and 'chilling' when it was first published. I think it has become a classic because it tackles something incredibly serious, but it a way that's powerful, vivid and concise, and still resonates with people today – we continue to discuss the stigmatisation of people with mental illness over 120 years later.
WHAT I Thought of This Classic
The Yellow Wall-Paper is a story, like many classics, that becomes more enjoyable the more you think about it. I finished it quickly and I wasn't sure what to think. Did I enjoy it? Did I get it? But I did a little research on Charlotte Perkins Gilman and why it was written. I discovered that it was based on personal experience and that Charlotte was a feminist writer who, at the time, had a radical view on gender roles. I thought about what the story represented and in doing so, I got so much more out of it. I realised that I was guilty of taking the female narrator at face value, when in fact she's unreliable. The Yellow Wall-Paper has a different meaning once you already know how it ends and once you read it for the second time, and so it can be looked at as both a Gothic horror story and a feminist stance on women, mental illness and gender inequality. I also enjoyed reading the other two short stories included in this edition: The Rocking-Chair and Old Water.
WILL It Stay A Classic
Many people have told me they had the opportunity to study The Yellow-Wall Paper. It's been a really popular one on Twitter and Goodreads, with many people telling me what they thought of it when they first read it. As long as academia continues to turn to it as a fascinating snapshot into how both women and mental illness were regarded in the late nineteenth century, it won't be forgotten.
WHO I’d Recommend It To
People who want to read a classic short story, especially a feminist classic. People who are interested in mental health and the issues surrounding the treatment and stigmatisation of people with mental illness. People who want to try out one of the Little Black Classics!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
WHEN I Discovered This Classic
I discovered it while browsing Penguin's Little Black Classics. I've always been interested in mental illness and discussions about mental illness – including taking two 'Madness and Society' courses at university – and so it seemed like a great one to try out. I bought it alongside The Old Nurse's Story .
WHY I Chose to Read It
I wanted to read an 'old' classic in April and because I've been quite a slow reader this year compared to normal, I also wanted something short and swift – it was the perfect choice!
WHAT Makes It A Classic
I hadn't heard of The Yellow Wall-Paper before picking it up, so I wasn't aware it was a classic. I can see now that it was ahead of its time; it was seen as 'horrifying' and 'chilling' when it was first published. I think it has become a classic because it tackles something incredibly serious, but it a way that's powerful, vivid and concise, and still resonates with people today – we continue to discuss the stigmatisation of people with mental illness over 120 years later.
WHAT I Thought of This Classic
The Yellow Wall-Paper is a story, like many classics, that becomes more enjoyable the more you think about it. I finished it quickly and I wasn't sure what to think. Did I enjoy it? Did I get it? But I did a little research on Charlotte Perkins Gilman and why it was written. I discovered that it was based on personal experience and that Charlotte was a feminist writer who, at the time, had a radical view on gender roles. I thought about what the story represented and in doing so, I got so much more out of it. I realised that I was guilty of taking the female narrator at face value, when in fact she's unreliable. The Yellow Wall-Paper has a different meaning once you already know how it ends and once you read it for the second time, and so it can be looked at as both a Gothic horror story and a feminist stance on women, mental illness and gender inequality. I also enjoyed reading the other two short stories included in this edition: The Rocking-Chair and Old Water.
WILL It Stay A Classic
Many people have told me they had the opportunity to study The Yellow-Wall Paper. It's been a really popular one on Twitter and Goodreads, with many people telling me what they thought of it when they first read it. As long as academia continues to turn to it as a fascinating snapshot into how both women and mental illness were regarded in the late nineteenth century, it won't be forgotten.
WHO I’d Recommend It To
People who want to read a classic short story, especially a feminist classic. People who are interested in mental health and the issues surrounding the treatment and stigmatisation of people with mental illness. People who want to try out one of the Little Black Classics!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
October 4, 2015
Now why should that man have fainted? But he did,and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time!
Surprisingly, I ended up liking this story so much more than I thought I would. I had to read it for uni, and I always feel iffy about those reads, and I usually don't enjoy them as much I enjoy reading books I pick up myself. But this one was a huge surprise.
This is a story about an unreliable narrator, and throughout the story we see how she slowly descending into madness. I loved the creepy and gothic vibe the story had, and it did manage to really scare me. And I honestly wasn't expecting that. A story that I would definitely recommend giving a read.
Surprisingly, I ended up liking this story so much more than I thought I would. I had to read it for uni, and I always feel iffy about those reads, and I usually don't enjoy them as much I enjoy reading books I pick up myself. But this one was a huge surprise.
This is a story about an unreliable narrator, and throughout the story we see how she slowly descending into madness. I loved the creepy and gothic vibe the story had, and it did manage to really scare me. And I honestly wasn't expecting that. A story that I would definitely recommend giving a read.
August 8, 2015
I'd heard the name of this story thrown around a few times in the context of scary classics, so when I saw the LBC version I picked it up.
I'm not sure I'd call it a horror story, more a horrifying story for feminists; the rapid downward spiral of an intelligent woman literally oppressed into madness. It's so very creepy, and a fantastic story both of its time and before its time.
I'm not sure I'd call it a horror story, more a horrifying story for feminists; the rapid downward spiral of an intelligent woman literally oppressed into madness. It's so very creepy, and a fantastic story both of its time and before its time.
December 29, 2020
I first read (and loved) The Yellow Wallpaper during my short fiction class at university!!!
This was my first time re-reading it in a non-academic setting, and it was equally if not more amazing than the first time!
This collection also has The Rocking Chair and Old Water which is also found incredibly groundbreaking and thought provoking!!! These stories oppose the typical "fair maiden comes to a tragic death" trope, (which is found in almost every Shakespeare play...although I love them) and has the "striking and dominant man" meet his demise!
I greatly admire Charlotte Perkins Gilman for writing such bold stories in a time where these tropes were of great reality for women!
She and this book are brilliant!!!
This is a must read!!!
This was my first time re-reading it in a non-academic setting, and it was equally if not more amazing than the first time!
This collection also has The Rocking Chair and Old Water which is also found incredibly groundbreaking and thought provoking!!! These stories oppose the typical "fair maiden comes to a tragic death" trope, (which is found in almost every Shakespeare play...although I love them) and has the "striking and dominant man" meet his demise!
I greatly admire Charlotte Perkins Gilman for writing such bold stories in a time where these tropes were of great reality for women!
She and this book are brilliant!!!
This is a must read!!!
January 14, 2016
This contains 'The Yellow Wall-Paper', 'The Rocking Chair' and 'Old Water'.
'The Yellow Wall-Paper' is well known and a classic piece of feminist writing. It had been on my to-read list for ages, so that's partly why I got this LBC. It didn't disappoint me either, although it's very obvious what it's trying to do and what the theme of it is. I just loved it, I loved the slow spiraling into madness, I loved the eerie tone, I loved the claustrophobic feel. I loved the barely concealed rage and indignation, and I love that it doesn't cut corners, it doesn't compromise. I also found it spectacularly creepy, and as a commentary both on the ridiculous and harmful "rest" treatment of that time and the overall suppression of women, it's fantastic. It might be straight to the point, but who can blame Charlotte Perkins, it's not like anyone would've listened otherwise (or did listen at all).
The second story, 'The Rocking Chair', was more classic horror, still with some interesting subtext (especially about how men will be idiots when it comes to women), and while it was pretty straight forward as well, it was still fairly uncanny - at least if you read it late at night.
The best one of the bunch is the last one though. 'Old Water' is just a delight. What a story, what a tale! In this the woman gets to be the practical, non-nonsense character, while the man is poetic, lofty, irrational and madly in love with her. Does it end well? Depends how you look at it. I loved, loved the ending, it might even, from the right perspective, be considered a happy one.
This is definitely a decent collection of short-stories, and a worthy addition to your horror (or LBC) collection... you can put it next to Poe and they can fight it out.
'The Yellow Wall-Paper' is well known and a classic piece of feminist writing. It had been on my to-read list for ages, so that's partly why I got this LBC. It didn't disappoint me either, although it's very obvious what it's trying to do and what the theme of it is. I just loved it, I loved the slow spiraling into madness, I loved the eerie tone, I loved the claustrophobic feel. I loved the barely concealed rage and indignation, and I love that it doesn't cut corners, it doesn't compromise. I also found it spectacularly creepy, and as a commentary both on the ridiculous and harmful "rest" treatment of that time and the overall suppression of women, it's fantastic. It might be straight to the point, but who can blame Charlotte Perkins, it's not like anyone would've listened otherwise (or did listen at all).
The second story, 'The Rocking Chair', was more classic horror, still with some interesting subtext (especially about how men will be idiots when it comes to women), and while it was pretty straight forward as well, it was still fairly uncanny - at least if you read it late at night.
The best one of the bunch is the last one though. 'Old Water' is just a delight. What a story, what a tale! In this the woman gets to be the practical, non-nonsense character, while the man is poetic, lofty, irrational and madly in love with her. Does it end well? Depends how you look at it. I loved, loved the ending, it might even, from the right perspective, be considered a happy one.
This is definitely a decent collection of short-stories, and a worthy addition to your horror (or LBC) collection... you can put it next to Poe and they can fight it out.
October 16, 2018
"John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him."
- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "The Yellow Wall-Paper"
Vol N° 42 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This book contains three of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short stories.
Included were:
1. "The Yellow Wall-Paper" - ★★★★★
2. "The Rocking-Chair" - ★★★★
3. "Old Water" - ★★★★
"The Yellow Wall-Paper" is one of those stories I've been familiar with for decades, but never read. It is one of the reasons I bought his series AND one of the reasons I purposefully try and choose writers beyond my comfort zone (women, minorities, LGBQT, etc). It is easy to fall into a literary rut and is equally amazing to jump out of it. Gilman is one of those jumps. There is a reason "The Yellow Wall-Paper" gets tremendous attention. It is a well-formed, influential, and gripping story. Hell, even HP Lovecraft loved it.
I was prepared to be let down by "The Rocking Chair" and "Old Water", but both stories were solid and didn't disappoint.
- Charlotte Perkins Gilman, "The Yellow Wall-Paper"
Vol N° 42 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This book contains three of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short stories.
Included were:
1. "The Yellow Wall-Paper" - ★★★★★
2. "The Rocking-Chair" - ★★★★
3. "Old Water" - ★★★★
"The Yellow Wall-Paper" is one of those stories I've been familiar with for decades, but never read. It is one of the reasons I bought his series AND one of the reasons I purposefully try and choose writers beyond my comfort zone (women, minorities, LGBQT, etc). It is easy to fall into a literary rut and is equally amazing to jump out of it. Gilman is one of those jumps. There is a reason "The Yellow Wall-Paper" gets tremendous attention. It is a well-formed, influential, and gripping story. Hell, even HP Lovecraft loved it.
I was prepared to be let down by "The Rocking Chair" and "Old Water", but both stories were solid and didn't disappoint.
March 25, 2015
It was great to come back to this short story, which I last read in high school. So clever and sinister, and brings up a variety of topics such as feminism, manipulation and mental illness. I also thoroughly enjoyed the other two stories in this book - both were surprisingly dark and morbid, two things I love! I'll definitely have to pick up a full collection of Gilman's stories.
June 26, 2021
At long last I finally got this story on a library book sharing program. I have been looking for it forever since it is considered a classic of mental breakdown and the horror it causes. It also indicates as a underlying theme the misunderstanding of psychological break downs and the attitude of husbands to wives when this happens. The story was written in 1892, so the husbands actions are reflective of the times.
This is an odd and very eerie tale of a young wife whose husband takes her to a house in the country for a "rest cure" and she ends up in a room that has hideous torn and moldering yellow wallpaper with which she becomes obsessed and repelled. Her husband, who is a doctor, insists that she remain in the room for rest and relaxation and either does not or refused to believe that she is teetering on the brink of insanity.
I will say no more but I think I will re-read it in a couple of weeks so that I can ascertain some of the underlying issues that one may miss on the initial reading. Recommended.
This is an odd and very eerie tale of a young wife whose husband takes her to a house in the country for a "rest cure" and she ends up in a room that has hideous torn and moldering yellow wallpaper with which she becomes obsessed and repelled. Her husband, who is a doctor, insists that she remain in the room for rest and relaxation and either does not or refused to believe that she is teetering on the brink of insanity.
I will say no more but I think I will re-read it in a couple of weeks so that I can ascertain some of the underlying issues that one may miss on the initial reading. Recommended.
February 24, 2023
the yellow wallpaper is fucking ugly. i would also have a mental breakdown if i had to look at it
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February 8, 2017
The Yellow Wall-Paper: Curious, curious, curious. Some kind of Post-Natal Depression with 18th Century cures. Touches at the very heart of what depression feels like with its wall-paper detestation that turns almost in to adoration. Not entirely sure how I feel about it, or what it was I just read.
The Rocking-Chair: Another curious one, this time a ghost story from a male perspective. Intriguing like a Poe but not at all fright-inducing, more just a bit odd. Never been a fan of hauntings and this one left me feeling not a lot.
Old Water: Amusing in a dark way. Genders are somewhat reversed here with the outlook of pre-18th Century poetry at the forefront. Social commentary, but ambiguous as if Gilman was not wholly sure of it.
A neat little collection. I enjoyed the first one the most, but the other two were fairly bland, but very clever. I think I just did not like the style of writing, even though it was competent and thoughtful and obviously from a woman who knew what woman actually were.
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The Rocking-Chair: Another curious one, this time a ghost story from a male perspective. Intriguing like a Poe but not at all fright-inducing, more just a bit odd. Never been a fan of hauntings and this one left me feeling not a lot.
Old Water: Amusing in a dark way. Genders are somewhat reversed here with the outlook of pre-18th Century poetry at the forefront. Social commentary, but ambiguous as if Gilman was not wholly sure of it.
A neat little collection. I enjoyed the first one the most, but the other two were fairly bland, but very clever. I think I just did not like the style of writing, even though it was competent and thoughtful and obviously from a woman who knew what woman actually were.
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December 29, 2021
The addition I read actually contained two additional stories - The Rocking Chair and Old Water.
All of the three short stories share the common theme of ominous intent. In The Yellow Wallpaper we have a woman descending into some kind of mental ill health, vexxed by the wallpaper of her rental house and suffocated by her husband, who restricts her activities and makes her worse. In The Rocking Chair, my favourite, we have two men tormented over a striking and mysterious woman who haunts the chair of their rented rooms. And in Old Water we have a woman trying to fend off the advances of a lecherous man who sees her as a tragic heroine of old. They're all a little menaching in nature, subtle in execution and generally very well done. I will say that at times I found the writing a bit too overly done, but I think that's more a sign of the times than a criticism of the author.
All of the three short stories share the common theme of ominous intent. In The Yellow Wallpaper we have a woman descending into some kind of mental ill health, vexxed by the wallpaper of her rental house and suffocated by her husband, who restricts her activities and makes her worse. In The Rocking Chair, my favourite, we have two men tormented over a striking and mysterious woman who haunts the chair of their rented rooms. And in Old Water we have a woman trying to fend off the advances of a lecherous man who sees her as a tragic heroine of old. They're all a little menaching in nature, subtle in execution and generally very well done. I will say that at times I found the writing a bit too overly done, but I think that's more a sign of the times than a criticism of the author.
November 14, 2019
Escalofriante. Una crítica brutal a la sociedad y al estado de la medicina no hace tanto tiempo.
Un must para todo el mundo.
Un must para todo el mundo.
April 28, 2017
This Little Black Classic turned out to be quite a surprise!
When I bought this book, I thought I was going to read feminist stories. What I actually got, were feminist psychological horror stories. Bundled in this little book are 3 of the 200 short-stories that Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote, and among them is her most famous one, "The Yellow Wallpaper".
This story blew me away. The mood and the setting is completely different from the other 'Victorian' stories that I've read this year. No sweet romance or tea-parties: in this story a young woman/mother falls prey to her under-stimulation and isolation, and slowly becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in her room. Her husband thinks that locking her up is thé remedy to cure her 'wild emotions', but the opposite happens.
Gilman describes the woman's thoughts and the wallpaper itself in great detail, so that you as a reader quickly empathize with her. This gets frightening when the woman gets her mental-breakdown over the wallpaper, because you almost want to do the same: cracking the mystery of the wallpaper is the only way to free your mind(s).
The other short-stories, "The Rocking Chair" and "Old Water" get less under your skin as the first one, but share the theme of obsession. In the second story two men becomes fascinated by the pretty young girl that sits in the old rocking chair in their guest-house, and in the third an old Poet finds himself head-over-heels with an uneducated woman.
Another recuring theme is these stories are dangerous men/husbands. In all the stories the women play a large rol, but it are the men who make the bad decisions, who act like modern 'Nice Guys' and are creepy, arrogant, and cause doom.
This LBC convinced me of Charlotte's talent and I will definitely look up more short-stories of her. My only two comments are that "Old Water" didn't really fit with the other two stories - it was more hilarious than scary -, and there was no haunting atmosphere during "The Rocking Chair", so the mystery in the story felt pretty boring. It would have been better if another, stronger story of Gilman had been used for this collection.
However, I will definitely recommend this book to my friends, because it's a great introduction to this quick-witted and critical writer. 3.5/4 stars.
When I bought this book, I thought I was going to read feminist stories. What I actually got, were feminist psychological horror stories. Bundled in this little book are 3 of the 200 short-stories that Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote, and among them is her most famous one, "The Yellow Wallpaper".
This story blew me away. The mood and the setting is completely different from the other 'Victorian' stories that I've read this year. No sweet romance or tea-parties: in this story a young woman/mother falls prey to her under-stimulation and isolation, and slowly becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in her room. Her husband thinks that locking her up is thé remedy to cure her 'wild emotions', but the opposite happens.
Gilman describes the woman's thoughts and the wallpaper itself in great detail, so that you as a reader quickly empathize with her. This gets frightening when the woman gets her mental-breakdown over the wallpaper, because you almost want to do the same: cracking the mystery of the wallpaper is the only way to free your mind(s).
The other short-stories, "The Rocking Chair" and "Old Water" get less under your skin as the first one, but share the theme of obsession. In the second story two men becomes fascinated by the pretty young girl that sits in the old rocking chair in their guest-house, and in the third an old Poet finds himself head-over-heels with an uneducated woman.
Another recuring theme is these stories are dangerous men/husbands. In all the stories the women play a large rol, but it are the men who make the bad decisions, who act like modern 'Nice Guys' and are creepy, arrogant, and cause doom.
This LBC convinced me of Charlotte's talent and I will definitely look up more short-stories of her. My only two comments are that "Old Water" didn't really fit with the other two stories - it was more hilarious than scary -, and there was no haunting atmosphere during "The Rocking Chair", so the mystery in the story felt pretty boring. It would have been better if another, stronger story of Gilman had been used for this collection.
However, I will definitely recommend this book to my friends, because it's a great introduction to this quick-witted and critical writer. 3.5/4 stars.
March 9, 2021
Reread as required reading for a class I'm taking on Madness. Nuts how few pages Gilman needed to create such an atmospheric piece. Ending still gives me the creeps, definitely gives me descent to 'Bertha Mason' vibes and will forever have the feminist in me screaming.
April 20, 2015
The famous short story 'The Yellow Wall-Paper' I've read before: of my own accord a while ago, and again more recently as part of a course I was studying. Reading it again when I bought this volume - part of the Penguin Little Black Classics series - made me see things in it that I'd missed the first time and even the second. Not doing a close reading of it was actually beneficial, and I got more of a sense of the gothic elements and satire contained within it.
This edition also contains two more short stories by Gilman. 'The Rocking-Chair' is more of a straightforward ghost story than the psychological horror of 'The Yellow Wall-Paper', although it has a little bit of that, with a strong focus on a sinister object that also gives the story its name. While it doesn't feel anywhere near as significant as the more famous story, I really enjoyed it. 'Old Water' is a comedy which I liked less, but it has a very strong ending.
This edition also contains two more short stories by Gilman. 'The Rocking-Chair' is more of a straightforward ghost story than the psychological horror of 'The Yellow Wall-Paper', although it has a little bit of that, with a strong focus on a sinister object that also gives the story its name. While it doesn't feel anywhere near as significant as the more famous story, I really enjoyed it. 'Old Water' is a comedy which I liked less, but it has a very strong ending.
October 24, 2022
Vau! Mislila sam da sam da je The yellow wall-paper novela, a ne kratka priča pa sam se zbunila kad je krenulo "drugo poglavlje" odnosno naredna priča koja nije imala veze s ovom. Dve dodatne priče ne mogu da se porede sa ovom glavnom naravno, ali su i one fenomenalno urađene i mislim da ću se potruditi da pročitam sve što je ova žena napisala.
Zašto The yellow wall-paper nije roman😭😭
Zašto The yellow wall-paper nije roman😭😭
December 24, 2018
Genuinely chilling at times. Pretty convincing portrayal of accelerating madness, and I think Hideo Nakata may well have read this at some point.
September 29, 2017
This was a 42 minute audiobook and I needed something quick to listen to. I didn't like it, and to be quite honest I didn't get it. I get the concept, I understand what people have taken it to mean, but I didn't get the same things from it.
December 29, 2020
This was a reread for me and now I fully remember why I loved it so much in university ❤️
November 1, 2017
Marvelously creepy! I've read “The Yellow Wall-Paper” before, but the other two stories in this little book, No. 42 in the Penguin Little Black Classics set, were new to me. The title story is the longest, tracing a fragile woman's descent into madness and subversive, chilling rebellion against her husband and the oppressive society he represents. The story is interesting partly because, while the general idea is clear, various details can be interpreted in a number of ways, offering the possibility of a ghost story or a purely psychological drama. It might be suggesting the empowering nature of art, unless perhaps the narrator's husband was right and her indulgence in dwelling on her fancies sent her over the edge – “She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain” (Louisa May Alcott, but the narrator's husband would agree). Or maybe being largely confined to a madwoman's room, forbidden any interesting activity, and spoken to as a simpleton is an unwholesome way to live. Could be. The other two stories are more straightforward but also fun. “The Rocking-Chair” is a fine little ghost story – all suggestion and atmosphere, and “Old Water” is an interesting tale of a self-satisfied poet who deals poorly with rejection. Four and a half stars.
May 25, 2018
A terrifying read, The Yellow Wallpaper is a short-story that every feminist should have on their to-read list.
August 17, 2022
Disturbing and great
January 11, 2019
3.5 ★★★: an interesting collection of three ghost and feminist short stories
Review in English | Reseña en español (abajo)
Read for the Reading Women Challenge (2) A book about a woman with a mental illness
This edition holds three stories: The Yellow Wall-Paper (3 ★★★), The Rocking-Chair (4 ★★★★) and Old Water (3 ★★★).
I probably went into this with unrealistic high expectations but I’d been hearing only good things about The Yellow Wallpaper and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. While it didn't literally hypnotise me as I'd expected it would, it was still an extremely compelling short story and it left me shook. I think the most interesting aspect is its semi-autobiographical sense –Charlotte Perkins had suffered years of depression and she was forbidden to touch pen, pencil, or brush, and was allowed only two hours of mental stimulation a day–. Among the three stories, this was the least I liked, but it’s an intriguing illustration of the attitudes towards mental health and the treatment of women in the 19th century.
My favourite was The Rocking-Chair even though I don’t usually like horror stories; and Old Water had a really strong ending.
P. S. I'm not English, so if you see any mistakes let me know so I can correct them, please
—
Cumple el reto de Reading Women (2) Un libro sobre una mujer con una enfermedad mental
Esta edición contiene tres historias cortas: El Papel Pintado Amarillo (3*), La Mecedora (4*) y Agua Vieja (3*).
Probablemente me acerqué a este libro con expectativas poco realistas y demasiado altas, pero solo había escuchado cosas buenas sobre El Papel Pintado Amarillo y Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Si bien, literalmente, no me hipnotizó como esperaba, sí fue un cuento muy convincente y hubo pasajes que me dejaron un tanto aterrada. Creo que el aspecto más interesante es su sentido semi-autobiográfico: Charlotte Perkins había sufrido años de depresión y le prohibieron coger la pluma, el lápiz o el pincel, y solo se le permitían dos horas de estimulación mental por día. De las tres historias, esta fue la que menos me gustó, pero es una ilustración intrigante de las actitudes hacia la salud mental y el tratamiento de las mujeres en el siglo XIX.
Mi relato favorito ha sido La Mecedora, aunque no me suelan gustar las historias de terror; y Agua Vieja me sorprendió por su final.
«I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could fin in a toy-store.»
Review in English | Reseña en español (abajo)
Read for the Reading Women Challenge (2) A book about a woman with a mental illness
This edition holds three stories: The Yellow Wall-Paper (3 ★★★), The Rocking-Chair (4 ★★★★) and Old Water (3 ★★★).
I probably went into this with unrealistic high expectations but I’d been hearing only good things about The Yellow Wallpaper and Charlotte Perkins Gilman. While it didn't literally hypnotise me as I'd expected it would, it was still an extremely compelling short story and it left me shook. I think the most interesting aspect is its semi-autobiographical sense –Charlotte Perkins had suffered years of depression and she was forbidden to touch pen, pencil, or brush, and was allowed only two hours of mental stimulation a day–. Among the three stories, this was the least I liked, but it’s an intriguing illustration of the attitudes towards mental health and the treatment of women in the 19th century.
My favourite was The Rocking-Chair even though I don’t usually like horror stories; and Old Water had a really strong ending.
P. S. I'm not English, so if you see any mistakes let me know so I can correct them, please
—
Cumple el reto de Reading Women (2) Un libro sobre una mujer con una enfermedad mental
Esta edición contiene tres historias cortas: El Papel Pintado Amarillo (3*), La Mecedora (4*) y Agua Vieja (3*).
Probablemente me acerqué a este libro con expectativas poco realistas y demasiado altas, pero solo había escuchado cosas buenas sobre El Papel Pintado Amarillo y Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Si bien, literalmente, no me hipnotizó como esperaba, sí fue un cuento muy convincente y hubo pasajes que me dejaron un tanto aterrada. Creo que el aspecto más interesante es su sentido semi-autobiográfico: Charlotte Perkins había sufrido años de depresión y le prohibieron coger la pluma, el lápiz o el pincel, y solo se le permitían dos horas de estimulación mental por día. De las tres historias, esta fue la que menos me gustó, pero es una ilustración intrigante de las actitudes hacia la salud mental y el tratamiento de las mujeres en el siglo XIX.
Mi relato favorito ha sido La Mecedora, aunque no me suelan gustar las historias de terror; y Agua Vieja me sorprendió por su final.
June 4, 2015
I had a fight with family. Someone said something very authoritative and it drove me mad. I was upset for a while but I didn't want to sulk about. Instead, I started reading The Yellow Wallpaper. Midway through my reading I put it down and wrote in my journal. I read my previous entry and found it made me feel much better. I had already found a way to deal with issues such as these, I just forgot about it during my outburst. Why did I get so angry? I checked the calendar. Ah, it's near that time of the month. I continued reading. Soon, I was done. I felt a little confused. I started having a conversation in my head with myself.
Me no. 1: What does she mean by she had to creep over him? Did he really faint? If he did, why?
Me no. 2: See, the point is just she's gone completely crazy and most likely due to stifling herself too much.
Me no. 1: What? You don't think what she says matters? She might be crazy, but it doesn't mean she doesn't count.
Me no. 2: She doesn't. There maybe something, but there is no way of knowing it.
Me no. 1: You're wrong. I just have to pay more attention to the story she's thinking of.
Me no. 2: Go ahead then. Try.
Me no. 1: She can walk right over him and there is nothing he can do to stop her.
Me no. 2: Alright, you have your imaginary answer now.
Me no. 1: Fine, call it imaginary. You know well enough that you're perfectly sane and think of the exact same things. Maybe you're not trapped behind wallpaper, but you imagine your shadow creeping over people far more often than you like to admit.
In summary, yes it's about a crazy woman. The sad thing is far too many sane women will be able to empathise with this one.
--
December 26, 2014
Me no. 1: What does she mean by she had to creep over him? Did he really faint? If he did, why?
Me no. 2: See, the point is just she's gone completely crazy and most likely due to stifling herself too much.
Me no. 1: What? You don't think what she says matters? She might be crazy, but it doesn't mean she doesn't count.
Me no. 2: She doesn't. There maybe something, but there is no way of knowing it.
Me no. 1: You're wrong. I just have to pay more attention to the story she's thinking of.
Me no. 2: Go ahead then. Try.
Me no. 1: She can walk right over him and there is nothing he can do to stop her.
Me no. 2: Alright, you have your imaginary answer now.
Me no. 1: Fine, call it imaginary. You know well enough that you're perfectly sane and think of the exact same things. Maybe you're not trapped behind wallpaper, but you imagine your shadow creeping over people far more often than you like to admit.
In summary, yes it's about a crazy woman. The sad thing is far too many sane women will be able to empathise with this one.
--
December 26, 2014
April 16, 2021
5 stele pt "The Yellow Wall-Paper",restul povestirilor au fost meh
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