The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls

By: Emilie Autumn

Narrated by: Emilie Autumn

Two young women, living centuries apart, both accused of madness, communicate across time to fight a common enemy...their doctors.

"It was the dog who found me."

Such is the stark confession launching the harrowing scene that begins The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls as Emilie Autumn, a young musician on the verge of a bright career, attempts suicide by overdosing on the antipsychotics prescribed to treat her bipolar disorder. Upon being discovered, Emilie is revived and immediately incarcerated in a maximum-security psych ward, despite her protestations that she is not crazy, and can provide valid reasons for her actions if someone would only listen.

Treated as a criminal, heavily medicated, and stripped of all freedoms, Emilie is denied communication with the outside world and falls prey to the unwelcome attentions of Dr. Sharp, head of the hospital's psychiatry department. As Dr. Sharp grows more predatory by the day, Emilie begins a secret diary to document her terrifying experience and to maintain her sanity in this environment that could surely drive anyone mad. But when Emilie opens her notebook to find a desperate letter from a young woman, imprisoned within an insane asylum in Victorian England and bearing her own name and description, a portal to another world is blasted wide open.

As these letters from the past continue to appear, Emilie escapes further into this mysterious alternate reality where sisterhoods are formed, romance between female inmates blossoms, striped wallpaper writhes with ghosts, and highly intellectual rats speak the Queen's English.

But is it real? Or is Emilie truly as mad as she is constantly told she is?

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls blurs harsh reality and magical historical fantasy whilst issuing a scathing critique of society's treatment of women and the mental health care industry's treatment of its patients.

Welcome to the Asylum. Are you committed?

©2007 The Asylum Emporium (P)2016 The Asylum Emporium

still wanting more

the book grips you until the end it has left me wanting another book I still have unanswered questions which is also part of the brilliance

Emilie Anderson's book is quite an enjoyable listen

While I can't argue the accuracy of whether or not the "autobiography" sections of the story are exaggerated or not, given that I haven't set foot into a mental institution before in my life (as of writing this). Emily(with a 'Y')'s story is enjoyable and gut-wrenchingly angst-ridden.

This book full my curiosity.

I bought this book because I heard there was a musical about it. I like the music and I wanted to go in depth about the story.

Thank you Emily

Even though some would cringe or be unable to enjoy due to the theatrical honesty that this book contains, I would to say thank you Emily. The emotion is raw and the poetry is beautiful. The way she is a "girls girl" always standing with women and discussing the oppression of them as well as mentally ill is beautiful. I did not expect something from this time to handle Gerber, sex race and able-bodiedness so well even though it's a bit simplistic or archetypical at times.

As a fan of her music I was very happy with this book. Funny at points and heart warming and in others disturbing or even sensual/erotic in a tragic way.

I would however not recommend this book to my friends with eating disorders, the way weight is discussed is quite disturbing at some points and glorified. the only saving grace for that subject is that 1. I can relate 2. the lunch lady who sneaks extra food to the girls in the first part of the story makes me believe that the view of thinness of little girls at least is not being glorified. We all deserve a sweet treat.

That being said I think that frankness about it and showing honestly how thin people are treated in this situation is part of the brutal and heart breaking rawness of this story. What is fiction what is perfectly real? if you ask me it's all emotionally real. As I'm a fan of bertolt Brechts theories that having reminders that we are enjoying something made by man, fictional- is good! and stirring within us deeper understanding particularly of suffering and political matters.

Found a New Favorite Writer

First off, I wanna say that I've always been very into the whole "Alice in Wonderland" type of stories, so I was immediately interested. And then I saw the word "Victorian" and got more excited cuz the Victorian Era is one of my favorite time periods, heh.

I really enjoyed Emilie's writing and her voicing really brought out the characters' personalities for me. I don't know why, but it amuses me when people start going off because of stupid things others do, so the little bickering here and there was fun to listen to. I also loved the different British accents between characters.

Honestly, the story is so well-put together, and the small plot twists where some of my questions start getting answered just left me captivated and wanting more.

Also I was pleasantly surprised to hear her start singing. The music was great and the lyrics were catchy. All in all, I had a great time listening to this and I can't wait to read more of Emilie's work 💚