A Charlotte Perkins Classic: The Yellow Wallpaper (Annotated) with a Historical Introduction

By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Narrated by: Jessica Renfro

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Unique to this title is:

• A historical introduction
• An overview of "The Yellow Wallpaper"
• A study of the themes present in "The Yellow Wallpaper"
• A list of famous quotes from "The Yellow Wallpaper"

You may of course skip all of it and go straight to the main title if you do not want any spoilers and come back later to the beginning.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Gilman was born in 1860 in Connecticut. When she was a child, her father abandoned his wife and children, and she spent the rest of her childhood in poverty. Since her mother was not able to support the family, her aunts played a big part in her upbringing.

Her schooling was erratic, and she attended seven different schools in just four years, finishing when she was 15. To prevent her children from getting hurt as she had been, her mother forbade them to make strong friendships or read fiction.

Despite that, Gilman spent a lot of time in the local library studying ancient civilizations on her own.

In her best-known work, "The Yellow Wallpaper", Gilman writes about different kinds of oppression that women were exposed to at the time. Women were patronized and treated as mentally weak and fragile. They were believed to be prone to many "nervous conditions" and particularly hysteria.

Enjoy this timeless classic!

Public Domain (P)2019 Chronos Publishing

Good, sad story

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to by this author. The author had postpartum depression and that is the feel I got from the story- seemed to me the main character may have suffered a little from the same initially. It’s sad what this woman endured. I listened to the book before the introduction.

This is the third book I’ve listened to by this narrator ( Jessica Renfro ) and I would listen to another. She does a wonderful job bringing the desperation and obsession out in the main characters voice.

There are no explicit sex scenes, excessive violence or swearing.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

An original and somewhat creepy story

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.*

At the beginning I thought the story wouldn't be there and that it was a book about Charlotte Perkins's original writing.

When it started I was relieved and amazed at the narrator. I also love a story when the ending leaves me open-mouthed and wondering what was that I have just heard.

A must read if you like creepy short stories and are ready to be confused.

Yellow Wallpaper

First a warning/suggestion: The publishers of this book have placed historical annotations at the beginning of this Audible version. In my opinion, they should be at the end. If you listen to them before the story, the whole effect is spoiled.

The story is thoroughly creepy and, without giving away the whole thing, something that I will remember for a long time. Yes, it is horror, but also a very disturbing look into the psyche of a woman slowly going mad.

The narrator did a great job and truly conveyed the madness, getting more and more frantic as the story progressed. A true classic in the horror genre, and a great feminist treatise as well.

The Annotated Version Makes a Huge Difference!

I read The Yellow Wallpaper a few years ago. I read it and felt rather bleh about it. I did not quite understand the context and where the writer was coming from. Many people have been surpised that I did not LOVE it, knowing what I love to read.

I have found recently, I have loved reading classics with annotations in them! Whether I am giving a book a second chance or rereading a favourite, the notes add such a great depth and understanding to the story.

I loved that the notes for this were at the beginning. It is a very well organized, in depth introduction. I enjoyed listening to this story vastly more, with the background I gained going into this short, semi autobiographical story.

I can understand why this short story has stood the test of time as a feminist piece of literature.

Jessica Renfro has a beautiful voice and inserts great emotions into her story telling.

I received a copy of this audiobook at my request, and I have voluntarily left this review.

Chilling descent into madness...

I loved this story and I really loved the narrative! Jessica Renfro heartbreaking telling will give you shivers as you listen to a mind splintering into madness and no one realizes until it is too late.
I was given this audiobook for free and have voluntarily submitted this review...get it, listen... you will be glad you did! 💜🐈

Incredible story well done

Engaging story and performance. It is incredible how blind men were when treating women for “nervous” disorders. It is obvious that this treatment plan was not working yet the doctor persists believing he is right. I suppose it may not have been so obvious from just observation, but if he had listened he may have heard her cry for change.

Well performed, darkly humorous

The preview had me thinking this book would be very disturbing, but I found it to be quite funny, though perhaps in a dark and slightly twisted manner. The narrator was excellent at performing the role rather than just reading the lines. I received a free review copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.

wallpaper, who knew

loved it. giving a glimpse if how woman were treated in 19th century and how some medical conditions were only put on females

Quickly but a goody

This short story is a compelling listen. The narrator delivers another solid performance. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Not my kind of book

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review." When I finally got to the story, I felt like I had already heard it because of the historical review. The story was a lot better than the review. What a sad time period for women.