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The Yellow Wallpaper  By  cover art

The Yellow Wallpaper

By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Narrated by: Jo Myddleton
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Publisher's summary

In this classic late-nineteenth-century story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a new mother suffering from what we might today call 'post-partum depression', is diagnosed with a nervous disorder.

Instructed to abandon her intellectual life and avoid stimulating company, she sinks into a still-deeper depression invisible to her husband, who believes he knows what is best for her. Alone in the yellow-wallpapered nursery of a rented house, she descends into madness.

Public Domain (P)2008 Summersdale Publishers Ltd

What listeners say about The Yellow Wallpaper

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  • 05-02-12

A Visceral Reaction

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s novella is one of those stories that reminds me to be thankful that I live when I do. It's about a woman who is suffering from postpartum depression before postpartum depression existed. Instead, women suffered from “exhaustion,” “a case of nerves,” or (the best gender-specific illness of all time) “hysteria.” She submits to the forced regime of rest prescribed by her doctor husband, and the inactivity and removal from her child throws her headfirst into a depressive spiral. Especially strong in audio - the narration here is gentle, real, and creepy all at once. Jo Myddleton’s voice begins calm and rises in desperation as the protagonist descends into madness. The panic and claustrophobia is tangible. You’ll get angry. You’ll want to protest something. Your inner-feminist (guys too - you know she’s in there) will awaken. It’s awesome.

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27 people found this helpful

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Unnerving and disturbing

When I first listened to the story a year ago, I was deeply moved and shaken. It took me so much time to listen to it again. I must say it's not just a spooky story of a woman showing signs of incipient madness, as it might seem. It's a protest against quack psychiatrists of the 19th century, who instead of curing patients ended up complicating their mental illness.
The story is autobiographical. Being unstable, C.P. Gilman suffered from nervous breakdowns herself. She turned to a physician, whose treatment methods proved to be ineffective. C.P. Gilman was subdued to the domestic sphere, was allowed to have only two hours' intellectual stimulation, and was prevented from working. Deprived from normal life, she nearly slipped into insanity. Only when Gilman returned to work, did she manage to recover.
As Charlotte Perkins Gilman put it, the story "was not intended to drive people crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy".

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A story understood best when an adult

This is one of those short stories some high school literature teachers have students read as a "classic". Yes, it is a classic, but can only be fully understood and appreciated when one is an adult. Psychologically speaking, anyone can go mad if presented with the right circumstances. Some escape those circumstances; others do not. This is the case of the main character of this short story. Post-partem depression linked with a controlling husband linked with separation from the outside world force this young bride and mother into a world that only she can see and comprehend. And while the outside world sees her as having gone mad, from her perspective she has only tried to free herself, and does so. The listener sees it step-by-step and it makes sense. The other characters, practically ignoring her throughout the story see her at Step A and then again at Step Z and to them it makes no sense at all, adding to the tragedy. It is a well written, well read tale.

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13 people found this helpful

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Excellent reading

A really excellent reading of this iconic short story - the reader gives a very polished performance in which she gradually builds in intensity to match the increasingly hallucinatory nature of the prose. This reading would be a great way to experience the story for the first time or to re-experience it in a new light.

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8 people found this helpful

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What did I just listen to?

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because I want to know what their reaction is.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Yellow Wallpaper?

The end. I was creeped out and almost hypnotized by the slow descent into complete madness. I knew what happened, but at the same time was thinking "what did I just listen to?"

Have you listened to any of Jo Myddleton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to her before, but she was a perfect fit for this narration in my opinion.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

day dream in a book

What does Jo Myddleton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her dreamy sing song like voice was perfect for this book.

If you could take any character from The Yellow Wallpaper out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The lady behind the print.

Any additional comments?

Its like entries from a diary so not much depth just watching voyeuristic exports of a womans descends into madness

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

Beautifully read and very absorbing story. I enjoyed it and have replayed it.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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love this short story!

so well written. the narrator is perfect for this story she portrays the character in the perfect way. her slow decline into insanity makes you want to keep listening and it draws you in. If you want a short story to make you think then this is the one for you!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Psycho-bio goes to extremes

What made the experience of listening to The Yellow Wallpaper the most enjoyable?

Wonderful speaker

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Yellow Wallpaper?

the patterns

What about Jo Myddleton’s performance did you like?

Loved her voice please have her do more. I would love to listen to her all day long

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, absolutely

Any additional comments?

I'm suggesting this to all of my friends

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3 people found this helpful

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Complex Like A Good Poem

I listened to this book without knowing anything about it, and I was pleased how many different meanings there are to what I heard. It's interesting to read after the fact other reviews that say the story means one particular thing. To me it's not that straight forward at all.

I have no wish to spoil the book by giving my own interpretations but will leave it at I saw the common explanations as the least likely :)

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3 people found this helpful