The Yellow Wall-Paper

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Genres: Literary Fiction, Classics, Short Stories, Horror

144 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), also known as Charlotte Perkins Stetson, was a prominent American sociologist, novelist, writer of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, and a lecturer for social reform. She was a utopian feminist during a time when her accomplishments were exceptional for women, and she served as a role model for future generations of feminists because of her unorthodox concepts and lifestyle. Her best remembered work today is her semi-autobiographical short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper", which she wrote after a severe bout of post-partum depression.

She was the daughter of Frederic B. Perkins.

Reviews

[lensky · Rating 4 out of 5]

while the title story, that shaped the 'mad woman in the attic' trope for decades to come and have me the creeps, is undoubtedly the star of this collection, the other stories show spectres of a life under patriarchy at the turn of the century. a recurring motive is the man/husband/son who knows what's best for the woman, and ends up destroying the woman or being responsible for her descent into madness. between some classical spooky stories there were also some surprisingly utopian ones, where women chose solidarity and community, resistance and emancipation instead of subordination. while the perspectives seem rather limited (exclusively focused on white middle/upper class women) this is still a feminist classic and important, considering that the yellow wallpaper was written over freaking 130 years ago!!

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

M'n favorieten waren the yellow wallpaper en old water

[lils · Rating 4 out of 5]

This edition of The Yellow Wallpaper includes the title short story alongside ‘The Rocking-Chair’, ‘The Giant Wisteria’, ‘Through This’, ‘Turned’, ‘Old Water’, ‘Bee Wise’, ‘The Unnatural Mother’, ‘Mrs Elder’s Idea’, and ‘His Mother’.

The first four stories were fantastic! The next three were good, and the final three were unremarkable.
I was happily surprised to find Gilman’s writing to be so feminist. Her short stories reminded me a lot of Shirley Jackson which was interesting.

[zeina · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a bit disappointing i fear ... the yellow wallpaper itself was good, maybe a 3 stars i'd say? it didn't really ignite that much emotion for me. which is so surprising because i was really expecting it to! the reason i gave it an overall 2 stars is honestly because the rest of the short stories, at least in this edition, were truly forgettable. i do feel quite disappointed because i've heard so much about the yellow wallpaper, i was definitely expecting a bit more.

[Nathaniel Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to accurately rate a short story collection. Lots of great stuff in here, but it’s a gamble with each new chapter. I found about half of the stories quite shallow and boring, and the other half absolutely amazing

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love mad women!

I also love how quiet and creepy Charlotte Perkins Gilman writes her horror stories, it always feels tense even if you have no idea why yet.

[GhibliGoth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories were easier to follow and more interesting than others. I like the psychological aspects to the yellow wallpaper and the portrayal of how others react to mental illness

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤❤❤❤❤
This is the best short story collection I've ever read.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a feminist badass.

The short story "The Yellow Wallpaper", a "groundbreaking, deeply disturbing classic of feminist horror", was published in 1892. It describes the descent of a woman into madness following a 'rest cure'.

I loved this. This volume contains 10 rad tales that had my eyes glued to the page. I've never before read a short story collection where I liked *every* story.

It's so fckn awesome, and feminist, and certainly lives up to the cool cover.

[India Hannah Pixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

not the strongest short story collection, The Yellow Wallpaper and Turned were 4 stars!! The rest was meh

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

A woman, diagnosed with a nervous temperament after she gives birth, is shut in a room with garish yellow wallpaper, and slowly loses her mind.

Two newspaper men follow an obsession into some very strange lodgings.

A few young couples rent a summer house that might be haunted.

A woman contemplates the drudgery of housework.

A love triangle takes an unexpected turn.

A poet grows besotted with a woman quite different than him.

A strange town is born - unlike any that has ever existed.

A woman is judged not for the greater good but for what she allegedly didn’t do for her child.

A woman in her early forties finds herself being pulled into a life that she’d rather not live.

And finally a woman does her best to counter the harm her son does.

These stories are all a little unhinged in the best possible way with the literary equivalent of a sucker punch in the last few sentences.

They are full of men trying to convince women they know best when they really don’t, as well as the consequences for such missteps.

Gilman is fiercely and unapologetically feminist in the morals of her story which is delightful.

It is definitely a book worth picking up - if not for the title story (which is sometimes sold as a standalone book) then definitely one of the others.

A great short read which makes you laugh and has very satisfying endings. ✨

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy 5 stars for me. This was my first time reading Charlotte Perkins Gilman, but it certainly will not be my last. This is a collection of beautiful stories, and although I did not love every one equally, I loved what the collection became as a whole.

What stayed with me most was Gilman’s interest in women who are judged, confined, underestimated, betrayed, or diminished by the roles imposed on them, especially when those women take control of what happens next. “Turned” was a favourite for that reason. Mrs. Marroner’s response to betrayal, her refusal to blame the more vulnerable woman, and her decision to rebuild her own life felt deeply satisfying. I also loved “Old Water,” “The Unnatural Mother,” and “Mrs. Elder’s Idea” for their capable women who act according to their own judgment, even when men or society disapprove.

Ending with “His Mother” felt perfect. It brought together so many of the collection’s themes: public shame, motherhood, disappointment in men, social judgment, and finally a woman trying to make something better from what has happened.

I absolutely recommend this collection. I genuinely struggled to stop reading the stories and even took a cheeky break from work to finish a few of them.

[Melissa Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so this was creepy as hell. A story about a woman who is isolated and silenced far too long. She begins to lose her mind because everything she cares about is being erased and she is being controlled by her husband and the medical establishment prescribing her “the rest cure” of the 1800s.

What’s the cure?

-Isolation, and I mean zero social interactions
-Zero intellectual activity – no reading, no writing, she’s even discouraged from thinking freely.
-Total dependence on others for her daily needs
-Constant encouragement to “get better”

Her husband scares me the most. He is never violent or malicious, no yelling, no physical abuse; instead he is calm, speaks to her kindly, reinforces how logical her medical mistreatment is. He has total authority over her though and she is powerless to change that.

Her only escape was to literally disappear into madness, giving herself over entirely to the insanity caused by her circumstances, and losing herself completely.

Just… disturbing.

[Sally Clements · Rating 3 out of 5]

i find it hard rating short story collections, most of these i did enjoy so it’s more of a 3.5 rating- the yellow wallpaper, through this, turned, the unnatural mother, were the ones that stood out most to me. some were a bit too brief for me.

the context for these stories is what made me the most thoughtful. all of these were written in the late 1800s/ turn of the 20th century and it’s mad how applicable the feminist themes still are in here. they’re both common / entry level feminist critiques but i can see how if i read this at the time it could revolutionise the way i think.

i do think ‘the unnatural mother’ felt the most current as it touches on women criminalising each other and an internalised misogyny, which is something i feel is very currently being addressed. just in general the theme of motherhood came across the strongest.

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal collection of feminine literature short stories. With a variety of genres, some I found not as enticing but others totally captivating and/or empowering. I struggle to read some classics but this one wasn’t too bad, if you’re looking to get into classics I’d recommend this as a good starting point.

[Kacey Plunkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now before I begin my review I’d like to preface I ONLY read “The Yellow Wallpaper”, not the other short stories.

Woah. Absolutely masterpiece. I was gripped and dragged along the edges of the MC’s, and authors, walls and forced to decipher her unraveling mind. Masterfully written and had me questioning everyone and everything in the 22 page short story. Perfect!

[Graham Sillars · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with all short story collections there were stronger stories and weaker one in this little book. My favourites were The Yellow Wallpaper, Bee Wise, Mrs Elder’s Idea and His Mother. Thought provoking, intriguing and deeply disturbing.

There will be a story here for all types of reader. Whether they are feminists or otherwise.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole book, specifically just The Yellow Wallpaper.
It was well written, to see the progression of the thought process of the protagonist was interesting and well presented. You could almost understand how she felt the ways she did, and the things she was, but also could tell she was not seeing reality.
A very shocking ending too.

[Irina Vasilkova · Rating 5 out of 5]

It felt almost illegal to read such amazing feminist novellas from that time. I always reminded myself that they were written in the 19th century, and that women, regardless of time, will always be united by the same goal to achieve an equal and fair life.

[Andrea Batista · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s always hard to rate short story collections, but I loved 7/10 of the stories in this one and that’s a pretty great ratio in my book!

The Yellow Wallpaper itself is a very mesmerising read, loved it.

[Tobias · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title story is still great but the other ones in these collection are also mostly good and cover a good range from being spooky, to utopian and funny, but also always political.

[meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

short story collections forever confirming my dislike
of short story collections

[Alana · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was good but it just didn’t captivate me as much as I expected

[Emma Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story collection where I was riveted by every story. Her work tells a tale of women in a time they had little rights or autonomy. Her feminism is clear in every story.

[Ivy Greenwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is my new favorite collection of short stories. I will be reading more of Charlotte’s work. What she can pack into a 20 page or less story shows her absolute brilliance.

[Natalie Ewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the book being dedicated to the yellow wallpaper, it was actually one of the stories I like the least.

I much preferred “the Great Wistaria”, “Turned”, “Bee Wise” and “The Unnatural Mother”.

[Heidi Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of weird short stories that prove feminism isn't a new concept.

[Sachin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Read the first four short stories as those are supposed to be the best

[Bo van Engelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sommige verhalen erg witty en feministisch, wat leuk was om te lezen. Maar andere ben ik meteen weer vergeten en bleven me echt niet bij

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating woman. I'm struck by how contemporary her writing feels.

[Rayne Rondinone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing particularly interesting just a series of short cliff hanger stories of no special or intriguing content. Perhaps at the time of writing these were shocking wonderful works but I’m not impressed nor would I recommend but I can say the tales of an annoying controlling dismissive man are a tale as old time evidently.