Unpunished: A Mystery [Hardcover]

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Author), Catherine Golden (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998

   Written in the late 1920s and never before published, this mystery by the author of such early feminist classics as The Yellow Wall-Paper is a major literary find. Gilman's first and only detective novel recounts the murder of a pernicious attorney who has been shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, strangled and poisoned. The husband-and-wife detective team present a model of true partnership, while the unfolding details of the case offer poignant evidence of the injustice that poor and powerless women can suffer at the hands of a brutal man. Gilman weaves her case for women's freedom and empowerment into a mystery rich in twists and turns, colorful characters, red herrings, suspense and wry humor.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's newly discovered last major novel spoofs detective novels and challenges the hidden shame of domestic abuse years before it was a public issue. Wade Vaughn, a sadistic attorney, is murdered by five different methods--and leaves behind a long list of potential perpetrators. Detective team Jim and Bessie Hunt pick their way through their investigation, turning up a surprise heroine, disabled Jacqueline "Jack" Warner, whose journal--Gilman-style (The Yellow Wall-Paper)--reveals not only Vaughn's final moments but also the abuse that has been hidden in his family despite the deaths of two of its female members. A historical landmark, a mystery, a comedy, and a social statement, all in one!

From Library Journal

Completed by the noted feminist author in 1929, this title exemplifies (and satirizes) mystery traditions of the time and provides a forum as well for her ideas concerning the inequality of women. The plot derives from a fine conundrum: a universally hated murder victim dies (shot, stabbed, strangled, poisoned) in his locked study. A lively husband-and-wife team of detectives unravels the mystery, providing commentary, witty verbal sparring, and a not-so-surprising finale in which all the good characters are rewarded. A bit dated, but still interesting reading. For larger collections.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558611703
• ISBN-13: 978-1558611702
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #363,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vintage whodunit, October 18, 2001

By 

L. Cesar (Green Bay, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unpunished: A Mystery (Hardcover)

A vintage whodunit, this book includes wry humour, a subtle feminist commentary regarding women in 1920's society & even a butler! The story is a thoroughly enjoyable diversion (particularly needed in recent weeks). An excellent choice for Charlotte Perkins Gilman fans & anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a lost literary gem from Charlotte P.Gilman, June 25, 2006

By 

bOoKwOrM (usa) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Unpunished: A Mystery (The Elaine R. Hedges American) (Paperback)

here's the text from the back of the paperback edition:

"Written in the late 1920's, this long-lost mystery by the author of such early feminist classics as The Yellow Wall-paper is a major literary find. Gilman's first and only detective novel spoofs the genre as it deconstructs the murder of a pernicious attorney who has been shot,stabbed,bludgeoned, strangled, and poisoned! The feisty husband-and-wife detective team that solves the murder presents a model of true partnership, while the unfolding details of the case offer poignant evidence of the injustice that poor and powerless women can suffer at the hands of a brutal man. Gilman weaves a case for women's freedom and empowerment into a mystery rich in twists and turns, colorful characters, red herrings, suspense, and wry humor."

There you have it, a lost classic from Charlotte Perkins Gilman. What are you waiting for? Get this little gem of a book, and discovery a forgotten 'classic in the making'.

4.0 out of 5 stars Late 1920s - United States, July 15, 2009

By 

Lyn Reese (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unpunished: A Mystery (The Elaine R. Hedges American) (Paperback)

This book is a rare discovery, a recently found previously unpublished last major novel by this influential feminist author. It was written as a spoof on detective novels and includes a number of the author's social ideas. The story is not complex. A husband and wife detective team, Bess and Jim Hunt, solve the murder of a hated tyrant of a man who was found shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, strangled and poisoned! Lamentably, the book was written on the eve of Gilman's seventieth year, during a time of waning sympathy for women's rights. After an impressive body of work, she now had trouble placing her work, and Unpunished was never published.

The story's plot and 1920s speech patterns are not as engaging nor suspenseful as other books on our list. But it is an easy, sprightly read. As a champion of gender equality, Gilman gives us a conventional, contented wife in Bess, but one who eagerly assists husband Jim, who welcomes and admires Bess's imaginative help and, without negative comment, assumes some of the family's domestic chores. Gilman hits hard at the harsh patriarchal control of the story's father and his conniving friend, who both hold antiquated notions about the education of girls and female obedience. She also uses the story to underline the consequences of domestic, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as the economic dependence on men of women who have not been trained to support themselves.

Informative textual notes and a full afterword on Gilman written by Catherine Golden and Denise Knight make this a possible classroom text.