The story is written as a collection of journal entries narrated in the first person. The journal was written by a woman whose physician husband has rented an old mansion for the summer. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the husband confines the woman to an upstairs nursery. As a form of treatment, the husband forbids the journal writer from working or writing, and encourages her to eat well and get plenty of air so that she can recuperate from what he calls a “temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency”, a common diagnosis in women at the time. As the reader continues through the journal entries, they experience the writer’s gradual descent into madness with nothing better to do than observe the peeling yellow wallpaper in her room.

When they say short story, this is a short story, but it packs quite a punch in describing the unnamed protagonist’s descent into madness. Since I had a vague idea of what it was about, I had thought that the doctor husband had been trying to drive her mad on purpose for money or whatever. But no, he genuinely thought he was doing what was best for her which is more horrifying. The Victorian era’s idea of “medicine” is horrifying in general.

Especially when you read the author’s note and learn that Perkins had went through the isolation “cure” herself, and nearly went insane so after she got a second opinion from a doctor who told her to go back to work, and have friends, she wrote this as a warning to others. It even worked and saved some women from horrifying fate.

Anyway, my friend and I have differing opinions of whether she was insane or if the isolation made her insane. My friend cited that the protagonist said she had heard voices since she was little, I pointed out that could just mean she eavesdropped or there were thin walls, not schizophrenia. We both agreed that she probably had postpartum depression, and the isolation made it worse.

The ending was particularly shocking. Generally, it was a well-done story.

Next up is the short/unfinished stories of Jane Austen-Lady Susan, Sandition, and The Watsons.

I forgot to mention that along with our book club, we’ve decided to share movies. Some related to the books, some not. So far we watched Instant Family which is a funny, wholesome, realistic movie that I recommend everyone to watch at least once. Then we watched the first episode of the Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal on Netflix which set the scene for all the drama that came after.

We’re obviously ahead with the books than the movies, but we’ll try to catch up before we start the next next book.