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The White Garden
Seven people die in deep sleep therapy. A woman dies from a bee-sting on the grounds of a psychiatric clinic where inmates are encouraged to live out their delusions. A doctor rapes his patients in the Sleeping Beauty Ward.
Carmel Bird's examination of the secrets of the human mind is a chronicle of tragedy that is inadvertently revealed in the search for a lost library book. It is also a compelling portrait of a doctor whose lust for power is a form of madness.
Carmel Bird's examination of the secrets of the human mind is a chronicle of tragedy that is inadvertently revealed in the search for a lost library book. It is also a compelling portrait of a doctor whose lust for power is a form of madness.
- GenresAustralia
218 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 28, 2018
3.5 "deluded, wicked and flowery" stars !!
My partner has been urging me to read this book for several months now and move it up my "to read" list. He read it a couple of years ago and thought it was a "feminist literary masterpiece". When I started this book (finally) a few weeks ago he baked me some white chocolate and raspberry frosting cookies (yum). The book was not yum however. It was a struggle.
As there is no description on Goodreads I will give a very brief introduction. Takes place in a private psych. hospital in Australia in the 1960s and is run by a predatory and psychopathic psychiatrist with the name of Dr. Goddard (for short Dr. God). He employs deep sleep therapy (where more than a few patients die), ECT without anesthesia and LSD therapy as well as raping repeatedly a number of the female patients and having love affairs with others. He also allows delusional patients to live out their delusions to the utmost. The story centres around two women who believe they are saints from different centuries and their sections are written in poetic repetitive prose that is at times very hard to follow. Other sections of the book are written in a straightforward and explanatory fashion. Another part of the book centres around a woman who dies in the "White Garden" by bee stings and the mystery surrounding this aspect of the story. If my description sounds convoluted...try reading the book. This is a very ambitious project for a novel and it is often disjointed and jarring at least to my experience of reading it.
A third of the way in my partner asked if I liked it and I answered "Not sure" (you have to understand I had to be cautious as I wanted more cookies that week). He said "Jaidee not all books have to move you deeply or make you feel overwhelmed with emotion in order to be great books. Read this book and understand it conceptually." This talking to helped me immensely and I began to appreciate the book for its themes, messages and differing styles of writing depending on the character being written about.
In the end, I am glad I read this book and feel it should be more widely read. Preferably though as part of a syllabus in a literature course.
Did it move me? No.
Did I cry or laugh? No.
Was it interesting conceptually? Yes darling it was. Bake me some macaroons now.
My partner has been urging me to read this book for several months now and move it up my "to read" list. He read it a couple of years ago and thought it was a "feminist literary masterpiece". When I started this book (finally) a few weeks ago he baked me some white chocolate and raspberry frosting cookies (yum). The book was not yum however. It was a struggle.
As there is no description on Goodreads I will give a very brief introduction. Takes place in a private psych. hospital in Australia in the 1960s and is run by a predatory and psychopathic psychiatrist with the name of Dr. Goddard (for short Dr. God). He employs deep sleep therapy (where more than a few patients die), ECT without anesthesia and LSD therapy as well as raping repeatedly a number of the female patients and having love affairs with others. He also allows delusional patients to live out their delusions to the utmost. The story centres around two women who believe they are saints from different centuries and their sections are written in poetic repetitive prose that is at times very hard to follow. Other sections of the book are written in a straightforward and explanatory fashion. Another part of the book centres around a woman who dies in the "White Garden" by bee stings and the mystery surrounding this aspect of the story. If my description sounds convoluted...try reading the book. This is a very ambitious project for a novel and it is often disjointed and jarring at least to my experience of reading it.
A third of the way in my partner asked if I liked it and I answered "Not sure" (you have to understand I had to be cautious as I wanted more cookies that week). He said "Jaidee not all books have to move you deeply or make you feel overwhelmed with emotion in order to be great books. Read this book and understand it conceptually." This talking to helped me immensely and I began to appreciate the book for its themes, messages and differing styles of writing depending on the character being written about.
In the end, I am glad I read this book and feel it should be more widely read. Preferably though as part of a syllabus in a literature course.
Did it move me? No.
Did I cry or laugh? No.
Was it interesting conceptually? Yes darling it was. Bake me some macaroons now.
June 17, 2025
3.5 stars. An unpleasant, memorable, original story about an Australian women’s asylum in the 1960s where the fictional, somewhat mad Dr. Ambrose Goddard, a psychologist, sadistically abuses his female patients, leading to a number of deaths. He sees himself as an innovative leader in bringing the insane back to reality. His methods include allowing each patient to live in their delusional world. For example, a main character is ‘Shirley Temple’ who believes she is Shirley Temple and is treated like she is. He also practices deep sleep therapy which is where patients receive large doses of barbiturates and tranquilizers, keeping them sedated or comatose for up to 14 days. The novel is based on a real life Australian case.
The story begins with the death of a young patient, Vickie Field. She was found a day later lying dead in the asylum garden, killed by two bee stings. Her sister Laura is the main narrator of this story. Laura tries to find out want actually happened, particularly later on, when the asylum’s unorthodox practices came to light with the investigation in to the number of deaths that had occurred. We also learn about other asylum patients, like Theresa Gillis.
It is a sad tale of how once a young woman was placed into the asylum, she had no control or rights as to want was happening to her as well as her family had no say, having to accept the decisions made by the doctor. The book also describes other characters from the past in relation to gardens and religion. For example, the story of Therese Martin who died in 1890 is told in great detail.
An unusual, interesting read.
Shortlisted for the 1995 Miles Franklin Award.
The story begins with the death of a young patient, Vickie Field. She was found a day later lying dead in the asylum garden, killed by two bee stings. Her sister Laura is the main narrator of this story. Laura tries to find out want actually happened, particularly later on, when the asylum’s unorthodox practices came to light with the investigation in to the number of deaths that had occurred. We also learn about other asylum patients, like Theresa Gillis.
It is a sad tale of how once a young woman was placed into the asylum, she had no control or rights as to want was happening to her as well as her family had no say, having to accept the decisions made by the doctor. The book also describes other characters from the past in relation to gardens and religion. For example, the story of Therese Martin who died in 1890 is told in great detail.
An unusual, interesting read.
Shortlisted for the 1995 Miles Franklin Award.
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