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book_concierge's review
4.0
The title short story is Gilman’s classic story of a woman driven mad by her husband’s controlling “remedy” for her post-partum depression. Told in first person, the woman relates how her physician husband, John, has secured a colonial estate for their summer getaway. He is a very practical man and sure of his scientific facts. His prescription for his wife’s malaise is completely rest, and so she is locked in her attic bedroom, with its hideous yellow wallpaper and ordered to do NOTHING. No, not even a walk in the garden. And slowly she goes mad. Frankly, I was not a great fan of this story and dreaded reading the rest of the collection as a result, but I’m glad I persisted.
First published in 1892, Gilman’s story ignited some controversy, and she has been hailed as a feminist. She certainly is that. Among the stories in the collection is one involving a woman-developed pair of communities, where men take second place, and women run the show, and which prosper in a determined obscurity. Other stories show women stretching their wings and engaging in additional education or business pursuits despite their husband’s (or father’s or brother’s) objections, and succeeding, not just in their businesses but in life.
While the focus of virtually all these stories is the lives of women –how they are repressed, how they overcome, how they succeed – there is one notable story, Mr Peebles’s Heart, that shows the advantages to the man in the relationship from also spreading his wings and giving over some of the duties traditionally assigned to men to a woman in his life (wife, employee, sister, etc).
First published in 1892, Gilman’s story ignited some controversy, and she has been hailed as a feminist. She certainly is that. Among the stories in the collection is one involving a woman-developed pair of communities, where men take second place, and women run the show, and which prosper in a determined obscurity. Other stories show women stretching their wings and engaging in additional education or business pursuits despite their husband’s (or father’s or brother’s) objections, and succeeding, not just in their businesses but in life.
While the focus of virtually all these stories is the lives of women –how they are repressed, how they overcome, how they succeed – there is one notable story, Mr Peebles’s Heart, that shows the advantages to the man in the relationship from also spreading his wings and giving over some of the duties traditionally assigned to men to a woman in his life (wife, employee, sister, etc).
flicw's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
lsparrow's review
5.0
I love " the yellow wallpaper" when I first read it in a gothic anthology.
In this selection of writings I felt that I found new aspects to the story.
I loved the themes of independence, being oneself within family and marriage.
Learning more about her own life and thoughts on life, her struggles with chronic mental illness made me admire her writing all the more.
In this selection of writings I felt that I found new aspects to the story.
I loved the themes of independence, being oneself within family and marriage.
Learning more about her own life and thoughts on life, her struggles with chronic mental illness made me admire her writing all the more.
tessacmickeyd's review
3.0
Short and sweet. This is referenced so much in media that I had too high of expectations. I will say that I listened to The Yellow Wallpaper by narration though, and that the narrator was the worst one I've ever experienced. It's insane how bad it is. The story itself while a classic is a bit lackluster. A woman suffers from post-partum depression, her husband is an ass who disregards her every thought and isolates her(as I assume is the norm for the time) and she's slowly driven insane by the yellow wallpaper in the room she's stuck in. Maybe if I had a different narrator and a bit more build-up, I would rate it higher. I hope I'm not being too unfair here.
scarlettanomaly's review
5.0
I wrote almost every college paper I could on the yellow wallpaper, it's one of the most I don't even know
abbievillehorror's review
5.0
The Yellow Wallpaper was always my favorite short story since reading it for the first time high school. I’m so glad I finally picked up this anthology of Charlotte’s other work, because it did not disappoint. Her stories are funny and thoughtful subversions of what is expected of women by society and the double standards they are held to—most of which are sadly still in place to this day. The excerpts from her autobiography add an extra layer of depth into the readings of her stories, allowing small glimpses into the happenings of her life that likely inspired the stories.
She is right though: egotism is one of her flaws and reading from the perspective of such a person could have been tiring if she wasn’t so aware of it; instead, it added another layer of self-aware humor. It’s not all so funny though, as Charlotte talks at length about life-long struggle with depression since her pregnancy and first marriage. Still, I admire her strength in defying social conventions as she did, in not letting others convince her she did not know her own mind.
I will add though, that despite her progressive leanings, Charlotte was still a product of her time. She does her best to follow her self-imposed philosophy of doing only what is good and in the best interest of humanity, but there are some racist and insensitive remarks scattered throughout her writings, which is kind of disappointing.
She is right though: egotism is one of her flaws and reading from the perspective of such a person could have been tiring if she wasn’t so aware of it; instead, it added another layer of self-aware humor. It’s not all so funny though, as Charlotte talks at length about life-long struggle with depression since her pregnancy and first marriage. Still, I admire her strength in defying social conventions as she did, in not letting others convince her she did not know her own mind.
I will add though, that despite her progressive leanings, Charlotte was still a product of her time. She does her best to follow her self-imposed philosophy of doing only what is good and in the best interest of humanity, but there are some racist and insensitive remarks scattered throughout her writings, which is kind of disappointing.
emmavardy2's review
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Writing ahead of her time. However found stories quite superficial. Reading about life and upbringing provided some helpful insights.
eloisec98's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0