The Yellow Wallpaper

By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Narrated by: Kitty Hendrix

"The Yellow Wallpaper", written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1890, details the descent of a young woman into madness.

Her supportive, though misunderstanding, physician husband, John, believes it is in her best interests to go on a "rest cure" after the birth of their child. The family spends the summer at a colonial mansion that has, in the narrator's words, "something queer about it" and her depression/anxiety, (commonly diagnosed today as postpartum depression), spirals out of control as she fixates on the yellow wallpaper in their bedroom.

Gilman wrote this story in an effort to illustrate how a woman's lack of autonomy can be detrimental to her mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing.

Public Domain (P)2016 Kitty Hendrix

Brilliant!

1892? Really? Damn, this was good. This is how short stories are suppose to be done. Creepy. Building dread. Subtle terror and growing madness. Excellent!

Fascinating

Written in 1891 The author herself suffered from manic depression, after being treated by a so-called "specialist" she was nearly driven mad by his prescribed treatment. He told her there was nothing wrong with her, to return home and never work again. To live as mundane a life as possible. She later said she wrote this to maintain her sanity. It's definitely a fascinating read.

The narrator did a great job. Wonderful performance. She was perfect for this.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Yellow will never feel the same.

This is an incredible, haunting, horror story that pulls you in so silently that you'll find yourself in it's grip without knowing how you got there, or how you can ever free yourself.

Horrific journal of a woman's character destroyed

What did you like best about The Yellow Wallpaper? What did you like least?

Many can relate to the psychological phenomenon pareidolia, which can cause us to see faces or images of significance on walls or in patterns. The Rorschach inkblot test uses directed pareidolia to gain insight into a person's feelings and mental landscape. In 'The Yellow Wallpaper', Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses this familiar experience as an allegory for the destructive effects of patriarchal control and understimulation on 19th century women.

Which character – as performed by Kitty Hendrix – was your favorite?

The short story unfolds as a sequence of journal entries by the female narrator. Kitty Hendrix's performance gives expression to the young woman's longing for escape from the mansion, her curiosity and contempt for the yellow wallpaper. I particularly enjoyed the conspiratorial tones in the narrator's journal. Hendrix gives these moments cheekiness and urgency, for example, when the narrator hears John coming up the stairs and closes the journal entry for the day.

The character of the young woman is suffering from what is described by her physician husband, John, as a 'nervous depression' shortly after having a child. Hendrix's performance conveys the intensity of her suffering but also the three-dimensionality of her life before her husband (and brother) imposed their idea of a rest cure on her.

The audiobook is an iconic, tragic and creepy story of a young woman's descent in madness. I found it very enjoyable.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Great Narration

I read this for an introductory college literature course about 10 years ago. I really only remembered that I loved it, but not much else. I listened to a newly released audio version this time and it was amazing. The narrator, Kitty Hendrix, was fantastic and really captured the stream-of-consciousness style within the narration. I would definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone who is a fan of this piece. I will also be looking for books books narrated by Kitty Hendrix.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom.