The Yellow Wallpaper

By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Narrated by: Colleen Delany

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, (1860 - 1935), gained much of her fame with lectures on women's issues, ethics, labor, human rights, and social reform. She often referred to these themes in her fiction. She is best remembered for her 1892 short story "The Yellow Wallpaper", which was based on her own bout with severe depression and misguided medical treatment.©2008 Listen & Live Audio, Inc. (P)2008 Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Chilling story, effective realization

If you could sum up The Yellow Wallpaper in three words, what would they be?

Tension builds perfectly.

What other book might you compare The Yellow Wallpaper to and why?

"The Beckoning Fair One" by Oliver Onions, which tells of a young man's slow descent into madness in haunted rooms.

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

Her voice brings out the changes in the narrator's state of mind as her "health cure" sends her over the edge.

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

Absolutely. It needs to be heard from beginning to end for the best effect.

Any additional comments?

This is a story that, with an effective narrator, is actually better heard read aloud than read silently.