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The Yellow Wall-Paper and Other Writings
"There is no female mind. The brain is not an organ of sex. Might as well speak of a female liver."--Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a leading figure in the women's movement of the early twentieth century, is a pillar of the American feminist canon. This edition of her work includes her best-known story, "The Yellow Wall-paper," a terrifying tale about a woman driven to the brink of insanity by the "rest cure" she is ordered to follow by her doctor to relieve her postpartum depression. Also included is a wide range of other short stories; an abridged version of her little-known but brilliant utopian novel, Herland, about a peaceful all-female world; and selections from her landmark treatise, Women and Economics, first published in 1898 to universal acclaim.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a leading figure in the women's movement of the early twentieth century, is a pillar of the American feminist canon. This edition of her work includes her best-known story, "The Yellow Wall-paper," a terrifying tale about a woman driven to the brink of insanity by the "rest cure" she is ordered to follow by her doctor to relieve her postpartum depression. Also included is a wide range of other short stories; an abridged version of her little-known but brilliant utopian novel, Herland, about a peaceful all-female world; and selections from her landmark treatise, Women and Economics, first published in 1898 to universal acclaim.
348 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2000
51 people are currently reading
659 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
1,059 books2,243 followersCharlotte 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.
She was the daughter of Frederic B. Perkins.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
February 26, 2022
3 1/2 stars. I was thoroughly fascinated and not a little chilled by The Yellow Wallpaper when I first read it in the late '70s, and I felt as strongly about it upon this reading. It's a terrific story, especially given that it is based on the true-life rest treatments of depressed women of upper social status in the late 19th c. I found the rest of the short stories interesting for the presentation of women who took their lives into their own hands, although the resolutions often seemed to come too easily. Certainly her work is pervaded by classism/racism, which I was disappointed to realize. Herland is a diverting utopian novel but, once again, the ideal society is homogeneous. The rest of the world (which the men have travelled from) is set in contrast: "[The women of Herland] had the different peoples of the earth roughly outlined, and their status in civilization indicated." I was impressed by the strong writing and cogent argumentation and her promotion of female economic independence in the Selections from Women and Economics, and applauded her ideas of shared spaces for women and children to be together in to help develop lives outside the home. Interesting historical reading, and despite her lack of inclusiveness, Gilman's early feminist perspective in this volume is worth reading.
July 1, 2023
I'm pretty sure Netflix (or one of those streamers!) came out with a film of this short story within the last year or two, but (according to my students) it didn't quite capture the tension and horror as well as this classic tale does. Ok, "horror" might be a stretch by today's standards, but if you are sensitive to tales of captivity--this story needs to be on your list.
File Under: Yellow Like Jaundice
File Under: Yellow Like Jaundice
October 15, 2024
yellow wallpaper was good, sure, but there are so many other short story gems in this collection. dare i say that i may even like/seek out short stories now? overall, i would sum up the themes as: "men gonna get what's comin' to them" and "lady utopias". also, the algorithm can stop suggesting post-partum depression/psychosis reads to me anytime now. kthnxbi.
December 3, 2020
In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s own words, published in 1913:
When the story first came out, in the New England Magazine about 1892, a Boston physician made protest in The Transcript. Such a story ought not to be written, he said; it was enough to drive anyone mad to read it.
For many years I suffered from a severe and continuous nervous breakdown tending to melancholia — and beyond. During about the third year of this trouble I went, in devout faith and some faint stir of hope, to a noted specialist in nervous diseases, the best known in the country.
This wise man put me to bed and applied the rest cure, to which a still-good physique responded so promptly that he concluded there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to “live as domestic a life as far as possible,” to “have but two hours’ intellectual life a day,” and “never to touch pen, brush, or pencil again” as long as I lived. This was in 1887.
I went home and obeyed those directions for some three months, and came so near the borderline of utter mental ruin that I could see over.
Then, using the remnants of intelligence that remained, and helped by a wise friend, I cast the noted specialist’s advice to the winds and went to work again–work, the normal life of every human being; work, in which is joy and growth and service, without which one is a pauper and a parasite — ultimately recovering some measure of power.
February 2, 2008
I have actually read this story on more than one occasion, finding something new each time.
This is supposedly a true story, telling how Charlotte Perkins Gilman went crazy due to being confined in the typical manner a woman was kept in her time. She was moved away from family and friends to a country house where they thought the air would help her. She was forbidden to write or do anything not seen as "womanly duties" so started seeing bars on the walls in her bedroom and a person, or shadow, struggling to get out from behind them.
It's a great story in that it details anxiety and possible depression in a woman who was not allowed to show her true self so went completely mad. This is not something out of the ordinary as Madame Bovary drove herself to madness out of boredom with nothing constructive to do as well.
This is supposedly a true story, telling how Charlotte Perkins Gilman went crazy due to being confined in the typical manner a woman was kept in her time. She was moved away from family and friends to a country house where they thought the air would help her. She was forbidden to write or do anything not seen as "womanly duties" so started seeing bars on the walls in her bedroom and a person, or shadow, struggling to get out from behind them.
It's a great story in that it details anxiety and possible depression in a woman who was not allowed to show her true self so went completely mad. This is not something out of the ordinary as Madame Bovary drove herself to madness out of boredom with nothing constructive to do as well.
April 1, 2023
Overall, I really liked all of the writings here. My favorite one is Herland, which is the only classical writing that was meant to be comedic that I actually found funny. Most of the time I find classical comedic literature to not be that funny to me, but Herland definitely kept me entertained.
August 1, 2022
“I have never made any pretense of being literary. As far as I had any method in mind, it was to express the idea with clearness and vivacity, so that it might be apprehended with ease and pleasure.” So says Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the introduction to this particular collection of her short stories, and, though her fiction is fascinating and thought provoking, her literary limits are quite apparent.
“The Yellow Wallpaper,” her most famous story, combines psychology and gothicism in a way that is reminiscent of Poe. And while it’s a laudable attempt at broaching the topic of postpartum depression in an era that didn’t want to acknowledge such a condition, it takes too long to get going, uses some very repetitive language, and just doesn’t explore the issue as much as it could.
Other stories are good at shedding light on the culturally constructed differences between men and women but lack the ambiguity to be much more than heavy handed diatribes. “If I Were a Man” has the female protagonist inexplicably turn into a man so she can find out how the male half lives, and “An Honest Woman” depicts a woman who resists the whims of a man whom she at first loves but can’t have and later can have but no longer loves.
My favorite one, though, is “Turned,” where, after a woman finds out her husband has impregnated the maid, the two leave to raise the child on their own, making it perfectly clear he is no longer needed. It’s a clever way of suggesting the possibilities of a same-sex relationship without showing anything more than a filial love and mutual respect between the two women. It also speaks to the fears men had of educated women (the wife was formerly a college professor) could turn the abuse they received against them.
The through line in all Gilman’s work–including her feminist utopia, Herland, and her sociological works–is that forced domesticity disrupts the natural talents and interests of women, and that to truly make women economically independent, we must reorganize this traditional arrangement.
“The Yellow Wallpaper,” her most famous story, combines psychology and gothicism in a way that is reminiscent of Poe. And while it’s a laudable attempt at broaching the topic of postpartum depression in an era that didn’t want to acknowledge such a condition, it takes too long to get going, uses some very repetitive language, and just doesn’t explore the issue as much as it could.
Other stories are good at shedding light on the culturally constructed differences between men and women but lack the ambiguity to be much more than heavy handed diatribes. “If I Were a Man” has the female protagonist inexplicably turn into a man so she can find out how the male half lives, and “An Honest Woman” depicts a woman who resists the whims of a man whom she at first loves but can’t have and later can have but no longer loves.
My favorite one, though, is “Turned,” where, after a woman finds out her husband has impregnated the maid, the two leave to raise the child on their own, making it perfectly clear he is no longer needed. It’s a clever way of suggesting the possibilities of a same-sex relationship without showing anything more than a filial love and mutual respect between the two women. It also speaks to the fears men had of educated women (the wife was formerly a college professor) could turn the abuse they received against them.
The through line in all Gilman’s work–including her feminist utopia, Herland, and her sociological works–is that forced domesticity disrupts the natural talents and interests of women, and that to truly make women economically independent, we must reorganize this traditional arrangement.
January 15, 2025
The Yellow Wallpaper- 3/5 🌟
The Rocking Chair- 2/5 🌟
Old Water- 4/5 🌟
All the short stories were eerie, unsettling and strange, making the reader uneasy and confused at times due to the unreliability of the narrator (particulary during The Yellow Wallpaper). I loved the atmosphere and themes of oppression and feminism in both The Yellow Wallpaper and Old Water, and I especially felt the anger the author was feeling at the time of writing, due to her own circumstances. The stories take a darker turn towards the end, reminding me of the works of Edgar Allen Poe, and I would probably read more of Gilman's writings in the future.
The Rocking Chair- 2/5 🌟
Old Water- 4/5 🌟
All the short stories were eerie, unsettling and strange, making the reader uneasy and confused at times due to the unreliability of the narrator (particulary during The Yellow Wallpaper). I loved the atmosphere and themes of oppression and feminism in both The Yellow Wallpaper and Old Water, and I especially felt the anger the author was feeling at the time of writing, due to her own circumstances. The stories take a darker turn towards the end, reminding me of the works of Edgar Allen Poe, and I would probably read more of Gilman's writings in the future.
March 27, 2021
Quotes
The world opened before her. Not the world she had been reared in--where Home had covered all the map, almost, and the rest had been "foreign", or "unexplored country"--but the world as it was, man's world, as made, lived in, and seen, by men. p. 102
"It's time we woke up," pursued Gerald, still inwardly urged to unfamiliar speech. "Women are pretty much people, seems to me. I know they dress like fools--but who's to blame for that? We invent all those idiotic hats of theirs, and design their crazy fashions, and, what's more, if a woman is courageous enough to wear common-sense clothes--and shoes--which of us wants to dance with her?" p. 104
An ocean voyage is an excellent time for discussion. Now we have no eavesdroppers, we could loll and loaf in our deck-chairs and talk and talk--there was nothing else to do. Our absolute lack of facts only made the field of discussion wider. p. 132
First sentence :
It is very seldom that mere ordinary people like John and myself secure ancestral halls for the summer.
Book 32
A collection of short stories published in The late 1800's . Notable for feminist themes. There is disparation among the stories. 3.5 ⭐s
The world opened before her. Not the world she had been reared in--where Home had covered all the map, almost, and the rest had been "foreign", or "unexplored country"--but the world as it was, man's world, as made, lived in, and seen, by men. p. 102
"It's time we woke up," pursued Gerald, still inwardly urged to unfamiliar speech. "Women are pretty much people, seems to me. I know they dress like fools--but who's to blame for that? We invent all those idiotic hats of theirs, and design their crazy fashions, and, what's more, if a woman is courageous enough to wear common-sense clothes--and shoes--which of us wants to dance with her?" p. 104
An ocean voyage is an excellent time for discussion. Now we have no eavesdroppers, we could loll and loaf in our deck-chairs and talk and talk--there was nothing else to do. Our absolute lack of facts only made the field of discussion wider. p. 132
First sentence :
It is very seldom that mere ordinary people like John and myself secure ancestral halls for the summer.
Book 32
A collection of short stories published in The late 1800's . Notable for feminist themes. There is disparation among the stories. 3.5 ⭐s
October 22, 2013
I have to admit, sadly, that I was unable to finish this entire collection of short stories- though I would like to some day! I read half of the stories, and each one was marvelous! Gilman does such an amazing job of building tension of suspicion, intrigue and curiosity. Very few of the stories have crazy trick endings (Yellow Wallpaper being one of them), but most have either highly unsettling or incredibly satisfying endings that really make you stop and think about men, women, society, and justice.
This is the sort of feminism that is needed. This is the sort of feminism I support.
This is the sort of feminism that is needed. This is the sort of feminism I support.
August 29, 2024
I greatly enjoyed the re-read of the short story, "The Yellow Wall-paper." However, the remaining short stories and novel were just ok. Gilman had a lot of problematic ideas in line with the time in which she was writing, so I will admit that I was very aware of the fact that her stories are only relative to white women. The Yellow-Wallpaper stands the test of time, though. Thank goodness "the cure" is no longer so readily prescribed!
May 24, 2021
Exceptionally interesting early feminist literature, both fiction and nonfiction, with a superb introduction by Lynne Sharon Schwartz. The Yellow Wallpaper is a deserved classic, as is Women and Economics.
May 24, 2024
Love love LOVED the first 2 short stories, while the voice of the third was strictly factual and formal, so much so I couldn't finish it (since it's not my personal style of book). Beautiful and thoughtful, even from a dated text. Some of the opinions I found a little outdated (as to be expected) but the concept of standard feminist ideology was expressed in a thought-provoking way.
The first short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" was a cry for women's independence and the patriarchal gaslighting of true freedom. The side characters of this story were all explaining that the main character was fine and only making things up, and the main character convinced herself that she was fine. Subtly, we know as a society that things are not fine but the entirety of womanhood has been training women to believe they are made for men. Not a new concept, of course, but highly expressive and filled with feminine rage and acceptance of self.
The second short story "Herland" (my personal favorite in this collection) is a feminine utopia, and although not perfect (and not pro-choice) I was crying and yearning for this living experience of beauty, softness, kindness, knowledge, and acceptance of a bigger picture. Often, in patriarchal societies, there is isolation for the basis of competition and for "the-self" through personal gain. In a matriarchal society, ideally, there is community for the greater good. I yearn for this style of community so much that I was agreeing with mostly every concept in this book, dreaming of a better way of life than the one I have been socialized to obey.
I only got through a few sections of the third short story "Women and Economics" since the tone was more factual. I prefer to read fictional stories, so this personally wasn't my vibe. Although I still gave the book 5 stars because the concepts are more explained through this section, andI believe most readers that like the first 2 will like the last one as well.
10/10
The first short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" was a cry for women's independence and the patriarchal gaslighting of true freedom. The side characters of this story were all explaining that the main character was fine and only making things up, and the main character convinced herself that she was fine. Subtly, we know as a society that things are not fine but the entirety of womanhood has been training women to believe they are made for men. Not a new concept, of course, but highly expressive and filled with feminine rage and acceptance of self.
The second short story "Herland" (my personal favorite in this collection) is a feminine utopia, and although not perfect (and not pro-choice) I was crying and yearning for this living experience of beauty, softness, kindness, knowledge, and acceptance of a bigger picture. Often, in patriarchal societies, there is isolation for the basis of competition and for "the-self" through personal gain. In a matriarchal society, ideally, there is community for the greater good. I yearn for this style of community so much that I was agreeing with mostly every concept in this book, dreaming of a better way of life than the one I have been socialized to obey.
I only got through a few sections of the third short story "Women and Economics" since the tone was more factual. I prefer to read fictional stories, so this personally wasn't my vibe. Although I still gave the book 5 stars because the concepts are more explained through this section, andI believe most readers that like the first 2 will like the last one as well.
10/10
June 25, 2023
Gilman creates stories centred around Feminist women with lives and situations, using them to comment upon patriarchy, motherhood, post-partum depression, and more. These women are imbued with strength, grace, and intelligence. Its a shame she was a raging racist.
* The Yellow Wall-Paper - an unnerving condemnation of the 'rest cure'. 4 stars
* The Giant Wistaria - a very literal portrayal of the fatal consequences of the patriarchy and unwed motherhood. 3 stars.
* Three Thanksgivings - the original girlboss. Refusing to marry a man for stability and instead creating financial stability for herself. 4 stars.
* The Cottagette - a man who wants his future wife to pursue her passion instead of slave away in the kitchen is my kind of 20th century romance. 4 stars
* An Honest Woman - they always come crawling back smh. 4 stars.
* Making a Change - taking care of 15 babies on a roof sounds like hell to me, but to each their own lol. 4 stars.
* Turned - you better than me sis because I would have left the both of them. 3 stars.
* The Widow's Might - iconic behaviour - go live your life sis. 4 stars.
* If I Were a Man - don't make me read from a man's perspective. 3 stars.
* Mr. Peebles' Heart - can the doctor perscribe me a holiday too pls? 3 stars.
* The Unatural Mother - ungrateful brats. 3 stars.
* Herland - an interesting exploration of a matriarchal society without male influence. Terry was an insufferable prick. 3.5 stars.
* Women and Economics - a very repetitive look into women's forced economic dependance on men. 2 stars.
* The Yellow Wall-Paper - an unnerving condemnation of the 'rest cure'. 4 stars
* The Giant Wistaria - a very literal portrayal of the fatal consequences of the patriarchy and unwed motherhood. 3 stars.
* Three Thanksgivings - the original girlboss. Refusing to marry a man for stability and instead creating financial stability for herself. 4 stars.
* The Cottagette - a man who wants his future wife to pursue her passion instead of slave away in the kitchen is my kind of 20th century romance. 4 stars
* An Honest Woman - they always come crawling back smh. 4 stars.
* Making a Change - taking care of 15 babies on a roof sounds like hell to me, but to each their own lol. 4 stars.
* Turned - you better than me sis because I would have left the both of them. 3 stars.
* The Widow's Might - iconic behaviour - go live your life sis. 4 stars.
* If I Were a Man - don't make me read from a man's perspective. 3 stars.
* Mr. Peebles' Heart - can the doctor perscribe me a holiday too pls? 3 stars.
* The Unatural Mother - ungrateful brats. 3 stars.
* Herland - an interesting exploration of a matriarchal society without male influence. Terry was an insufferable prick. 3.5 stars.
* Women and Economics - a very repetitive look into women's forced economic dependance on men. 2 stars.
December 27, 2025
(Note to myself, I have only read the short stories from this collection, Harland and Woman And Economics are abridged and sectioned for this collection)
So empowering!!!!!!! Each stories have different unique characters and perspectives on society. The thesis of those stories seems basic common sense in 2025 (which sadly might not be) but if im reading it from 1910s it would literally blow my mind. All the stories challenged the social norms: women shall not work, women should not learn about sex, men should take care of the family before themselves and any many more! They all seem like simple concepts yet I don’t think it is achieved for all human beings as 2025. But there are hopes, I don’t think anyone in today’s society would openly hold the traditional belief that mentioned in the book, or at least not being shamed by majority of people so progression!!!!!
So empowering!!!!!!! Each stories have different unique characters and perspectives on society. The thesis of those stories seems basic common sense in 2025 (which sadly might not be) but if im reading it from 1910s it would literally blow my mind. All the stories challenged the social norms: women shall not work, women should not learn about sex, men should take care of the family before themselves and any many more! They all seem like simple concepts yet I don’t think it is achieved for all human beings as 2025. But there are hopes, I don’t think anyone in today’s society would openly hold the traditional belief that mentioned in the book, or at least not being shamed by majority of people so progression!!!!!
October 7, 2025
I started reading this book knowing little about the author. The title story was listed in NPR's "100 Best Horror Novels and Stories" https://www.npr.org/2018/08/16/632779..., but there are only two tales here that actually fall in the horror/supernatural category: “The Yellow Wallpaper” (a chilling first person tale of insanity inspired by a ‘rest cure’ forced on the author for postpartum depression) and “The Giant Wistaria” (an actual ghost story). All the others are, to one degree of another, about the relationships between women and men. These are quite readable and give some serious insight into feminism in the early 20th Century (stories published between 1909 and 1916). This collection also includes the feminist utopian novella “Herland” and a nonfiction treatise “Women and Economics.” 3 stars.
March 13, 2023
Crushing gender roles in 1898! This anthology is a look into the forward thinkers of the past. It puts into perspective the progressive ideas we have now are not as novel as they may seem. Women for the last 100 years have been calling for equality to little avail.
I cannot in good conscience write a review and not mention the prevalent racism that persisted in this time period. Perkins gave a voice to specifically white women and uses language and concepts that are no longer acceptable in this book. If you read critically and are comfortable acknowledging the bad and the good aspects of this book it's an insightful read.
I cannot in good conscience write a review and not mention the prevalent racism that persisted in this time period. Perkins gave a voice to specifically white women and uses language and concepts that are no longer acceptable in this book. If you read critically and are comfortable acknowledging the bad and the good aspects of this book it's an insightful read.
August 30, 2023
I’ve read The Yellow Wallpaper a couple times and it’s a powerful look at mental illness. The other stories and writing have some interesting and though provoking things. Some I agree with, others not quite do much. As an intersectional feminist myself, I see these as somewhat feminist texts, although more white feminist than anything otherwise. I know she didn’t identify as a feminist but she certainly wrote as one, albeit a racist and Eugenic-supporting one.
December 29, 2023
Oooh another quick amazing read for the year! I ended up reading The Yellow Wallpaper twice - the English literature nerd in me was truly consumed by it. Such a masterful display of fiction - a simple plot with heavy, complicated themes. The other two stories (The Rocking Chair and Old Water) were also similarly exciting. So happy I finished this book - I know I’ll definitely be going back to it again. ❤️
September 22, 2024
Ok, so mixed feelings here. The Yellow Wallpaper is obviously a super important piece of feminist history and is super intriguing and disturbing. It's also very short and the other writings in this book were all over the place. Some of them were interesting from the context of their time. Some of it made no sense and made me wonder if the author was on cocaine. Some of it was awful. I don't think I recommend it, and I'm not sure I like Charlotte Perkins Gilman's view of the world.
September 16, 2025
The first two stories were horror and I absolutely love them, the other writings were feminist fiction. I am usually more of a horror/mystery reader but the other fiction were pretty good too. An interesting look into the behaviour and psyche of the women from that period and I realize how similar we are in women's history. My culture had similar values and bias against women in that period. Also the book ends with Women and Economics which isn't a fiction but still an interesting read. You have to appreciate how much our society have advanced since then and we are now economically independent.
December 25, 2023
I hated this damn book. The yellow wallpaper is the only reason this collection of books is getting more than one star. It was alright. But the only other good thing was the concept of Herland but this shit was so lame lord almighty. DNR DO NOT READ
March 26, 2024
Pensar que la historia principal fue la que menos me atrapó. The Rocking-Chair y Old Water realmente me encantaron, me hicieron querer seguir leyendo y leyendo, a pesar de ser historias cortas. Sin duda recomendaría para una lectura rápida.
May 20, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed her stories! They’re not masterpieces, but they are clever and quite humorous. I particularly enjoyed ‘Turned’ and ‘The Widow’s Might.’
‘If I were a Man’ was most interesting and one I plan to read again for a better analysis after learning more about this author.
‘If I were a Man’ was most interesting and one I plan to read again for a better analysis after learning more about this author.
August 10, 2025
4 stars specifically for The Yellow Wallpaper - incredible short story was really glad to finally read it
Also checked out these other ones included in the book not bad were pretty good as well
the giant wisteria
the cottagette
if I were a man
Also checked out these other ones included in the book not bad were pretty good as well
the giant wisteria
the cottagette
if I were a man
February 23, 2023
I would give it 5 stars if she wasn’t racist.
March 3, 2023
Stories read:
- The Yellow Wall-paper
- An Honest Woman
- Making a Change
- If I were a Man
- The Unnatural Mother
- The Yellow Wall-paper
- An Honest Woman
- Making a Change
- If I were a Man
- The Unnatural Mother
August 27, 2023
A very interesting and intriguing collection of stories and essays written by a woman who was ahead of her time.
November 23, 2023
Two stars is generous because I did enjoy the titular story but the others were *plbbbtttttt* the racism and classism really jumps out in them and also they were boring
October 19, 2025
I always love reading Charlotte Perkins Gilman's work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews