Ten Days in A Mad-House and Other Stories (Annotated): This Edition Includes Nellie Bly's Articles Nellie Bly In Jail, In the Greatest New York Tenement, and In Trinity's Tenements

by Nellie Bly

Ten Days in A Mad-House, Was Written By Nellie Bly in 1887, after she lived, undercover, at a women's insane asylum at Blackwell's Island in 1887 for ten days. This was an assignment given to her by Joseph Pulitzer. The living conditions and treatment of the Patients were Horrible. Bly

“The insane asylum on Blackwell's Island is a human rat-trap. It is easy to get in, but once there it is impossible to get out.”

This Edition of Ten Days in A Mad-House Is Illustrated and Annotated with a Brief History of Blackwell's Island Lunatic Asylum, With Additional Pictures, Word Definitions and Blank Pages for Notes.

Additionally, Nellie Bly's following Articles Are Included in this Edition - "Nellie Bly In Jail," "In the Greatest New York Tenement", and "In Trinity's Tenements."

Genres: Nonfiction, Womens, Journalism

164 pages, Paperback

Published June 25, 2019

About the author

Nellie Bly (1864-1922) was the pen name of pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran. She remains notable for two feats: a record-breaking trip around the world, in emulation of Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg (Bly completed the trip in seventy-two days) and an exposé, in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from within. In addition to her writing, she was also an industrialist and charity worker. Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City in 1922 aged 57.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary to read, so happy that mental institutions aren’t that bad anymore

[Tom Darrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read. One can see how this type of journalism might have ruffled some feathers 100+ years ago, although her descriptions of conditions in the asylum, tenements and sweatshops certainly lack a lot of the detail that modern readers expect. One needs to keep that in mind when going in to reading this book. If they are expecting graphic depictions of abuse by guards, whippings, shoddy tenements, etc. you won't find it, because that wasn't how people wrote at the time. A reader needs to appreciate this book for what it is and what it did.

The reason I marked it down by one star is primarily because of its editing. I looked the book over several times, and can honestly not find a place where an editor or publisher is noted. Several of the paragraphs/chapters end awkwardly (in terms of formatting) and there are several typos.

I think a great many people should pay more attention to muckrakers like Nellie Bly. While folks like Jacob Riis and Upton Sinclair are taught in schools (and rightfully so), Bly deserves her spot right up there with them.

[taylor:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is so heartbreaking and I can’t believe it was acceptable to treat people the way they did at blackwell ‘s island. also the other stories are just gut wrenching like I couldn’t IMAGINE living in those conditions. I will say tho… let’s bring that $5.50/month rent back💀 4/5

[Elizabeth Sund · Rating 4 out of 5]

So interesting! I've been meaning to read this for a long time. It's remarkable how her investigative journalism holds up over 120 years later.

[Sheralee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very clean cut story about a living hell. I get it because of the time it was written.

[Kristin Labesky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was bored reading this however I must say that back in her time this would have been a very interesting read and it would have had a lot of shock value back then . She is an inspiration to all women and her investigative journaling was a remarkable accomplishment for this time, as she also seems very educated and wow she worked for Pulitzer ? How on earth did she get that job ? Does it ever say ? I feel bad giving it a three star rating but had it been something pertaining more to topics I am interested in or had it pertained more to this day and age or given me more of a wow jaw dropping factor I would have given it a higher rating .. the conditions in the psych hospital didn’t shock me .. I work in one and so it’s been drilled into me through my career of how bad it used to be years ago and what she reported was kinda blah .. ok the food was bland cuz they couldn’t have salt and the butter tasted bad .. really ? That’s what you are commenting on ? How bout the lobotomies and shock treatments ? How bout chaining people up or beating them ? Nellie reported that the doctors and nurses were bullies … ok .. yeah that’s horrible but it’s not suprising.. I don’t know .. I didn’t much care for this book ….

[HJ Vanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly horrifying yet compelling story by journalist, Nelly Bly, who was hired by Joseph Pulitzer to feign insanity and report on her stay in Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum in 1887. The patients were treated as though they were not human, and medical care was non-existent. Starved, beaten, tortured, these women were at the mercy of the staff, with no way out. Lucky for Nelly, Pulitzer got her out and her subsequent stories of the nightmares she witnessed helped to shutter the asylum in 1894. "The insane asylum on Blackwell's Island is a human rat-trap. It is easy to get in, but once there it is impossible to get out."

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad I live in a time where the "mad-house" has been reformed. I had a hard time putting this book down. Her writing gets right to the point but with enough description that you get a real feel for what it must have been like. The loss of hope, respect, decency, and personal value was felt in my imagination as I read. I'm amazed Nellie Bly had the courage to go to such a place to do such a report.

[Estrella (Starbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nellie Bly fue capaz de infiltrarse 10 días en un sanatorio de Nueva York a finales del siglo XIX. La hazaña consiste en que lo hizo y no en que fuera difícil para una mujer acabar ahí, como ella misma explica. Narra hechos espeluznantes y su artículo provocó una investigación oficial sobre la institución en concreto.

[Jaymie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this specifically for "10 Days In a Madhouse," due to reading a snippet of the story with a student of mine. I love this book, and the courage that Nellie Bly had to go into a psych ward in order to get help for mentally ill patients.

[Corey Eisenmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and compelling story of a woman who faked her way into a psychiatric hospital for woman to show how horrific she was treated. Just found out they are making this into a movie so I will be interested in watching this

[Laura Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoy Bly’s writing style. That aside, it was further interesting, knowing that they were newspaper articles when they were first read. And that, if people were so moved, things could have changed for those she wrote about. Definitely recommend.

[c]

read the main part Ten Days in A Mad-House but decided to stop reading the other stories section halfway through because it didn't interest me and my main goal was to read the main section.